Rearranged
by betsunii
Summary: After finding out that her parents have arranged for her to be married to someone she doesn't even know, Shizuru turns to Natsuki for help. ShizxNat. Lemon. Yuri.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** This is my first fanfic, so please be kind!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mai Hime or any of the characters therein.

_Rearranged: Chapter One_

The snow was falling gently to the ground on a cold December evening. It was already blanketing the ground, reflecting the glow from each street lamp that lined the empty street. A lone girl with black hair and green eyes stood leaning against one of those lamp posts with her arms crossed. Next to her a black racing motorcycle was parked, gradually collecting a thin layer of snow as the minutes passed.

She glanced around her surroundings, perceiving the shadowy forms of the large and impressive houses that were spaced along the streets of this upscale neighborhood. The sound of distant footsteps lightly crunching the snow alerted the girl, and she quickly turned her head as her eyes sought out the approaching person. It was a girl with light brown hair and burgundy eyes; eyes that were focused solely on the black-haired girl in front of her.

"Natsuki...," she whispered as she neared the girl. Once she was close to her she pulled her into a tight embrace, burying her face into the girl's silky black tresses.

"Sh-Shizuru!" Natsuki exclaimed, a blush tinting her cheeks. Rather than pushing the taller girl away as she would have once done, her arms instead encircled her as she returned the hug.

"I've missed you, Natsuki."

Natsuki sighed, "We just saw each other yesterday."

"Yes, but I want to be with you all the time," Shizuru replied, no trace of the usual teasing in her voice.

"We can't-," Natsuki started, but silenced herself. Instead she admitted, "Me too."

Shizuru smiled a sad smile as she placed her gloved hand on Natsuki's cheek. "We need to get going," Natsuki said as she motioned toward her bike. Shizuru nodded as she climbed on behind Natsuki and wrapped her arms around her.

Shizuru smiled into her hair, tightening her hold on the other girl. "Tell me again that you love me," she asked pleadingly.

"I-I love you," Natsuki mumbled quietly, still unable to say those words very easily. After all, it had only been one week since she had realized her feelings for Shizuru...

_Flashback_

Saturday evening Shizuru had shown up on her doorstep out of breath, with tears streaming down her face. She had rushed to see Natsuki as soon as she possibly could, after finding out from her parents that they had arranged for her to be married to the son of a wealthy Kyoto businessman. The omiai was to be held in two months, and they were not accepting her protests. It would be a good match, they said, that would tie their families together and build a strong partnership between their respective companies. She had pleaded with them to call it off, but they told her that she had no choice but to go through with it, and that she would grow to accept and possibly love her new husband with time.

Natsuki listened to Shizuru tell her all of this as they sat together on her couch, growing angry at the thought that Shizuru's parents would be so controlling and manipulative of their daughter's future. Another emotion had blossomed in her chest as well, besides the feelings of anger. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but as she watched Shizuru sobbing into her chest, clutching onto her desperately, she knew that she never wanted anyone to take Shizuru from her. The possessiveness of that thought shocked her, but she realized that this was what she truly felt about the girl that had been her closest friend throughout high school.

So she had held Shizuru to her chest tightly, and told her that she would never let that happen, that the omiai would never take place and that she would do anything to protect her. And when Shizuru had pulled back to look at Natsuki's face, Natsuki's heart almost broke at the scared and hopeful look in the other girl's tear-filled eyes. Without stopping to think it through, she leaned down and softly kissed Shizuru's trembling lips. Shizuru responded almost immediately, foregoing her surprise at the other girl's actions in order to finally do what she had always wanted. They kissed gently for several seconds, lips pressing tentatively against one another. Though they had shared one mutual kiss before, somehow both of them felt it was different this time.

When they pulled apart, they looked at one another with heavy-lidded eyes and blushing cheeks. Natsuki paused to wipe the tears off of Shizuru's face, the feel of her soft skin causing a surge of electricity to run through her fingertips and up her arm. In the back of her mind she thought about how she'd never felt this way before when she'd touched Shizuru, but those thoughts were soon pushed aside as Shizuru threaded her fingers through Natsuki's hair to the back of her head, bringing her down for another kiss. This time the kiss was less gentle and more demanding, and Natsuki tilted her head to accommodate the kiss. She felt Shizuru's mouth open slightly, so she followed suit and their tongues met, slowly gliding across one another. This new sensation caused Natsuki to take a deep breath through her nose, and she moved her hands from Shizuru's shoulders to around her back, pulling her closer. Shizuru moaned into the kiss, quickly losing herself to the passion that was enveloping them.

Needing air, they broke the kiss after several moments, each breathing heavily as they rested their foreheads against one another. When she was able to catch her breath, Shizuru looked at Natsuki, her eyes dark and glinting with desire.

"Natsuki, please..."

"Shizuru..."

"Let me touch you, please?"

Natsuki nodded, making an 'mm' sound in affirmation of Shizuru's request. The older girl then slowly pushed Natsuki onto her back on the couch, propping herself up over her on her elbows. She then lowered her lips to the other girl's, initiating a slow yet intense kiss, her tongue exploring every corner of Natsuki's mouth. Breaking the kiss, Shizuru moved down to Natsuki's neck, placing light kisses from her jaw to her collarbone at first and then opening her mouth to lick and suckle the places she'd already kissed.

Natsuki couldn't contain the moan that escaped from her throat as she writhed under the Shizuru's ministrations. She ran her hands up Shizuru's back, grasping her tightly and causing Shizuru to smile against her neck. Still lavishing attention on Natsuki's neck, Shizuru slowly brought her right hand up the side of Natsuki's ribcage and grazed the underside of her breast with the pad of her thumb. Meeting no resistance from the younger girl, she moved her hand to cup Natsuki's breast fully, earning a gasp from the girl as she arched her back and pressed harder into Shizuru's palm.

After several more minutes of kissing and fondling, Natsuki sensed the situation was getting out of control. Reigning herself in, she tore her lips from Shizuru's and said, "Wait..."

Shizuru looked at her with confused eyes, but obeyed her request and lifted herself off of Natsuki, both moving to sit facing each other. Natsuki moved to speak, but the sight of Shizuru's swollen lips, glazed eyes, tousled hair, and heaving chest caused her to momentarily lose her train of thought.

"You're so beautiful," she murmured, as she moved in for another heated kiss. They kissed each other's mouths teasingly, intermittently kissing and caressing, allowing their ragged breathing to return to an almost normal rate.

Finally, Natsuki pulled away, cupping Shizuru's face with one hand and grasping Shizuru's hand with the other. As they calmed down and came back to reality, the gravity of Shizuru's predicament came crashing back down on them.

With what she hoped was a determined look, Natsuki said, "I promise you, we'll figure something out and you won't have to marry that guy."

"Thank you Natsuki, you don't know how much your help means to me." Shizuru then managed a pained smile as she said, "Well if I do end up marrying him, at least I'll have known what it's like to see you look at me like you did tonight; like you could actually feel--"

"Hey!" Natsuki interrupted. "Don't say things like that! I promised you that it won't happen didn't I? Just trust me, ok? Do you really think I could let someone else have you now? Now that I know I lo--" Blushing, she stopped herself and turned her face away from Shizuru, unable to voice her newly realized feelings.

Smiling with the knowledge of what Natsuki was going to say, Shizuru simply said, "Ok, I trust you."

They looked at each other for a few moments until Shizuru sighed and said, "Well, I should probably return home. I'm sure my parents are upset that I left so suddenly without letting them know where I was going." She then stood up, offering her hand to Natsuki as she stood up as well.

They walked to Natsuki's apartment door and as Shizuru turned to Natsuki to say goodbye, the other girl grabbed both of her hands in hers and said, "It's going to be fine. Listen, how about you come over to my place every couple days and we'll come up with a plan about how to get you out of this? Just tell your parents that you're coming over to hang out with me, and then they won't have to worry that you're going out to see some other boyfriend or something and they won't get suspicious."

"Alright, that sounds like a good idea, my smart little Natsuki," she teased, causing the younger girl to blush yet again. She then suddenly pulled Natsuki into an embrace and whispered into her ear, "I love you, Natsuki."

Before she could respond, Shizuru claimed her lips in a fiery kiss that left them breathless. As she opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night air, Natsuki called her name softly, "Shizuru..."

Shizuru looked at her questioningly, making Natsuki too embarrassed to look her in the eye. She still managed to say the three words that she had intended on saying though, and she quietly stated them: "I, I love you too, Shizuru."

A happy smile graced Shizuru's face as she walked away from Natsuki's door. The smile quickly faded, however, as she thought about the inevitability of her impending marriage. She knew Natsuki would try everything she could to help her, but knowing her own parents, she also knew that it was futile to resist their wishes...

_End Flashback_

Shizuru clutched tighter to Natsuki's waist as they sped on her motorcycle towards her apartment for the third time that week. They had yet to come up with a realistic plan to avert the marriage that was to be held in less than two months, but Natsuki was still positive that she would reach a solution. Shizuru always smiled and told her that she was sure she would, even though the logical part of her brain was telling her it was impossible.

Part of her was comforted, however, by Natsuki's acceptance and return of her love, something she had wished for for years now. She still couldn't quite believe that it wasn't a dream when she was wrapped up in Natsuki's arms and kissing her passionately. They hadn't gone any further than they had that first night, but Shizuru was content with that...for now. Eventually she was sure that she would need more from her dark-haired companion, but she wasn't going to risk their blossoming relationship by making any demands just yet.

Natsuki turned her head towards her after they turned another corner. "Almost there," she said, as they zoomed off into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

She wasn't helping. At all. Not when she looked at her with eyes that showed she was only thinking about one thing and one thing only. It really was quite distracting.

"Shizuru, could you please try to focus here?"

"Oh, but I am focusing, Natsuki."

"Focus on the problem, not on me!"

"Maybe I could focus better if you helped me get a few things off my mind."

"Such as?"

As soon as she asked that question, Natsuki immediately regretted it. Well, _almost_ regretted it, because she had to admit, she was thinking about "it" too. "It" being the decidedly intimate sessions on the couch that they'd been engaging in every time they met. The usual routine that had been developing was as follows: they'd arrive at her apartment, go into the kitchen and get something to drink, come back out to the living room and exchange pleasantries before getting into a serious conversation about the approaching marriage. At some point during the discussion, however, one of them would catch the expectant gleam in the other's eyes, and any further progress on the problem would be shot to pieces.

Tonight, of course, was no exception. Only this time they'd only talked for five minutes before Shizuru started giving Natsuki that look that said, '_I want you_.' The desire in her eyes was unmistakable, and Natsuki was finding she didn't have the willpower to resist something she so badly wanted as well.

It surprised her, actually. These powerful feelings of desire and need that welled up inside of her whenever they looked at each other that way, or whenever they were kissing each other senseless. She never would have guessed she could feel this way about anyone, let alone her female best friend whom she'd known for years. As a senior at Fuuka Academy, she had yet to meet anyone who sparked her romantic interest. And she knew Shizuru, who had taken a year off from school before attending college, had never held an interest in anyone (except her) either.

So here they were, and those lustful feelings had taken a hold of both of them and there was only one way to quench them.

Shizuru began to crawl towards Natsuki on her hands and knees around the coffee table to where Natsuki was sitting on the floor. When she got in front of her, they both leaned in for the kiss, capturing each other's mouths without hesitation. With their mouths slanting across one another's over and over, Shizuru moved over Natsuki, pushing her onto her back. Natsuki let her kiss her like this for a moment, but soon rolled the two of them over so she was on top. Shizuru's eyes widened slightly, as this was a first for Natsuki; she had always been the one in control until now.

Any thoughts that were in her mind vanished as soon as she felt Natsuki place her fingertips just under the hem of her light sweater. She kissed Natsuki encouragingly, practically squirming with anticipation as to what her companion was about to do. Natsuki's hand gradually moved up, lightly brushing and caressing the smooth skin and trembling muscles of Shizuru's stomach.

"Please," Shizuru whispered against Natsuki's mouth, begging for her to touch her where they both knew she wanted her to. Not giving in so easily, Natsuki moved her hand up and teasingly ran her fingertips along the tops of Shizuru's breasts, just above her bra. Panting, Shizuru arched her back and pushed her chest into Natsuki's hand, causing the younger girl to finally relent and slowly caress her sensitive flesh.

Shizuru moaned into Natsuki's mouth, unable to contain the sensations coursing through her body. This was the furthest Natsuki had ever gone when it came to touching her, and she could hardly restrain herself from grabbing the other girl and ravishing her senseless. Her self-control paid off, however, as Natsuki began to move down her body, pausing to kiss her neck before moving down to her stomach.

Natsuki knew Shizuru was holding herself back. Knew that Shizuru wanted more, but didn't want to ask for it outright. So she decided to thank the other girl and show how much she appreciated the time Shizuru was giving her to get used to this new territory they were exploring together. Besides the fact that she too wanted to take their intimacy to the next level.

With that in mind, Natsuki began pushing up Shizuru's top, slowly exposing the creamy skin to her eager mouth. Shizuru held her breath, as Natsuki kissed her way up, tasting each new inch of skin that was uncovered. Once she reached her bra, Natsuki pushed the sweater up over her chest and took in the sight of Shizuru's chest, covered by a lacy, white satin bra. Natsuki smiled at her friend's simple yet sexy choice of lingerie. As a connoisseur of fine undergarments, Natsuki had many more unique articles in her collection than the one on the girl before her, but she felt that nothing could look more sexy and alluring than Shizuru did right now in that classic white bra.

She hovered over Shizuru's chest, looking up to meet her friend's eyes before she proceeded. The look in Shizuru's eyes made her heart beat faster, and she could sense the bubbling desire and anticipation in the other girl's gaze. Without pause, she bent down to kissed the tops of Shizuru's breasts before pulling the cup down to reveal her dusky pink nipple. She kissed the center experimentally, before taking it into her mouth. Shizuru gasped out her name as she swirled her tongue around her hardening nipple while simultaneously sucking on the tender flesh.

Natsuki could feel herself getting hotter as she lost herself in the smell and taste of Shizuru's skin. When she moved over to lavish her other breast with attention, Shizuru was no less responsive as she sighed and moaned in pleasure. Wanting better access, Natsuki reached behind the other girl's back and unhooked her bra, tossing it aside. She then pulled Shizuru's top the rest of the way off, fully exposing her naked upper torso. She was beautiful to behold, and Natsuki became even further aroused by the sensuality radiating from her heated skin.

Suddenly wanting to feel Shizuru's skin against her own, Natsuki sat up and yanked her long-sleeved shirt up over her head and unclasped her bra, letting the straps slide down her arms. Before she could lean back down to press herself against the other girl's body, Shizuru sat up, pulling Natsuki into her lap, and began kissing the younger girl's breasts, unable to resist the temptation presented before her. Natsuki threw her head back in pleasure, a cry issuing from her throat. The sensations were beyond anything she had ever felt, and she leaned forward to cradle Shizuru's head to her, resting her forehead on the top of the other girl's head.

Shizuru made sure to repay Natsuki for her earlier actions, as she sucked and licked each of the girl's breasts. She teased both nipples with her fingers, rolling and pinching them, while she moved her lips to suck and bite on Natsuki's collarbone. Suddenly, wanting nothing more than to kiss Shizuru's lips, Natsuki stood up, pulling the other girl with her. Wrapping her arms around her, she crushed Shizuru to her chest and brought her lips to the other girl's, kissing her deeply. The feel of their bare breasts pressed against one another made each girl moan loudly into the kiss.

Shizuru made the next move, grinding her hips against Natsuki's, the layers of clothing doing nothing to disguise the unbidden want implied by the action. She then fingered the button on Natsuki's jeans, and grabbing the waistband, ran her fingers inside it, brushing the skin of Natsuki's lower torso. Natsuki's body shuddered with pleasure, tensing as Shizuru unbuttoned and began unzipping her jeans.

As Shizuru began pushing down her jeans, a cell phone suddenly rang,cutting through the fog of passion that had overtaken the two of them.

Letting out a frustrated moan, Shizuru went to her purse and retrieved her phone. Her caller ID showed that it was her mother calling so she reluctantly answered the call, giving Natsuki an apologetic look.

Deciding to let Shizuru talk to her mother in private, Natsuki went to her bathroom. She placed her shaking hands on the edge of the vanity, the excitement of the moment still making her body on edge. It felt so good to be with Shizuru like that, and she idly wondered how far they might have gone if they hadn't been interrupted. The next time they made it to this point she was sure she wouldn't be able to stop herself. Splashing water on her face, she forced herself to calm down and to make her heart rate return to normal so that she could go talk to Shizuru.

She went to the doorway and peeked down the hall, taking in the sight of a half-naked Shizuru talking on her cell phone in the living room. The spark of desire she suddenly felt slightly shocked her. Shizuru had a beautiful body, a fact she had noted on prior occasions at the public bath. Never would Natsuki have guessed that she would be looking at said body while thinking the types of thoughts that were currently running through her head.

All of a sudden she remembered the marriage arrangement and the fact that they hadn't come up with a solution yet. A wave of nausea passed over her as an unbidden thought surfaced in her mind of Shizuru belonging to some unknown man. She walked out into the living room as Shizuru was finishing up her conversation and closing her phone, causing the taller girl to gasp as she was encircled from behind by Natsuki's arms.

"I'm never letting you go," Natsuki stated, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"You won't ever have to, I'll always be yours," Shizuru said comfortingly. Her voice changed to a sadder tone and she said, "My parents have arranged...for me to meet with him tomorrow afternoon."

"What! Are you serious?" Shocked, she released her hold on Shizuru.

"I'm afraid so...I don't really have a choice but to go meet with him. I have no way to excuse myself, as my parents know I have no plans or appointments scheduled tomorrow."

"Shit!" Natsuki muttered under her breath as she began massaging her temples.

Shizuru took Natsuki into her arms and stroked her hair. "It will be fine; it's just a meeting after all, right? Maybe he'll think I'm ugly and not his type and call off the wedding."

Somehow, Natsuki didn't think that was possible.

"Or maybe I could accidentally spill some hot tea in his lap, that would send him running," she joked in an attempt to soothe her upset companion. She was startled when Natsuki looked up at her with tears welling upin her eyes.

"Please don't cry Natsuki," she pleaded, the sight of the crying girl paining her greatly. "Don't worry, we still have time to figure something out, ok?" She gently wiped the tears from Natsuki's face and then held her tightly.

"Did your mom say you had to go home now?"

"I'm afraid so, she wants me to be up early tomorrow so that Iwill be prepared to meet him for lunch and tea."

"Seriously, you should do whatever you can to make him not like you."

"I'll do what I can, but I cannot tarnish my family's good name and reputation by acting improperly."

Natsuki sighed, "Well, call me as soon as you can tomorrow after your lunch."

"I will."

Wrapped in one another's arms, they noticed they were still half-naked from their previous activities. They separated quickly, knowing Shizuru would be late getting home if they resumed what they had been engaged in before the phone call. They got dressed and left the apartment, Natsuki giving Shizuru a ride back home on her motorcycle. After a lingering kiss and whispered endearments, Natsuki watched Shizuru's retreating back as she walked down the long driveway to her family estate. Once she was out of view she throttled her bike and raced back home, trying to ignore the feelings of helplessness creeping into her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! Keep them coming!**

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_Rearranged: Chapter 3_

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The hotel was large and imposing on the exterior. It's black windows rose countless stories high, reflecting the images of threatening rain clouds that were slowly moving across the sky. _What an ominous sight_, thought Shizuru as she stepped out of her limo at the hotel's entryway. The strong winds were rustling her fine silk kimono, and she hurriedly made her way into the lobby.

As she walked toward the elevator in the rear of the lobby, heads turned to examine and admire her beauty. She was stunning. Her hair was worn up in a traditional Japanese style. Her makeup was lightly applied, serving only to highlight her finely formed features. The kimono, of course, was gorgeous and one of a kind. And she walked as she always did, with perfect posture and effortless grace. Everyone in the lobby was momentarily captivated by the sight of her, resuming what they were doing only when the elevator doors shut, blocking her from view.

Shizuru let out the breath she'd been holding as the doors closed. One of her mother's assistants was accompanying her, and pressed a floor button on the elevator panel. The ride was silent as they ascended, the trance-like atmosphere interrupted by a dinging sound at the arrival of the 30th floor. Shizuru followed the assistant to a set of large rosewood doors that contained the private meeting room where today's arrangement was to take place.

Summoning an air of confidence, Shizuru walked into the room.

The young man who stood up from the table was exceedingly handsome. He had black, perfectly tousled hair, dark eyes, a well-shaped mouth and nose, and was dressed in an expensive western-style suit. When his eyes finished trailing up Shizuru's body and met hers, he flashed her a brilliantly white smile.

Bowing, he said, "My name is Tadashi Kouji. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Shizuru politely returned his bow and replied, "My name is Fujino Shizuru. It is nice to meet you too."

They each knelt on opposite sides of the table, with their assistants sitting beside and slightly behind each of them. A teapot with fresh hot tea was sitting in the center of the table, along with two small cylindrical, Japanese-style teacups.

"Would you please pour us some tea, Fujino-san?" He asked with a slight smirk on his lips; he was obviously teasing her.

"Why of course, Tadashi-san," Shizuru replied with forced politeness.

She then artfully poured each of them tea, fighting the urge to dump it in his lap as she'd jokingly suggested to Natsuki the night before.

"Ah yes, very nicely done," he remarked out loud. "Now let's see, you were educated at Fuuka Academy, were you not?"

"That is correct."

"I myself was educated at the prestigious Eitoku Academy and am now attending the University of Tokyo. I understand you are not currently enrolled in a university, is that correct?"

"Yes, I am taking a year off of school to complete my training in the traditional arts."

"I see. Yes, that is very good, it is only appropriate that I marry a woman who is skilled at tea ceremony, flower-arranging, cooking, and all of those things after all. Not to mention a woman who is as breathtakingly beautiful as you are, Fujino-san."

Shizuru blushed and remained silent, not knowing how to respond to such a forward compliment. She fumed internally at this his conceitedness and audacity. How could her parents actuallyexpect her to marry a man like him?

On the other side of the table, Kouji was smiling. He couldn't believe his luck. He had expected a refined and well-mannered young lady to walk through those doors, but this Fujino Shizuru was a knockout. Not only did she possess all the air and grace of a refined woman, but she was also one of the most beautiful things he'd ever laid eyes upon.

A sudden impulse caused him to motion to the two assistants and ask, "Could you two leave us for a moment? I'd like to talk with Fujino-san in private please."

They bowed and left, leaving Kouji grinning and Shizuru slightly apprehensive. _What could he possibly want to talk about in private?_

He stood up from his kneeling position at the table and walked around to her, offering his hand to help her stand up.

"Come, let us go to the window and take in the view of the city from up here," he said, smiling so that Shizuru couldn't read his eyes.

They proceeded to the window, where Shizuru rested her hands on the banister there. Kouji was slightly behind her, watching her as she looked out the window and deciding what he should do next.

The city was rather dreary looking, Shizuru thought, with the clouds obscuring the sunlight and the light drizzle that had just started coming down. The sudden weight of a hand on her shoulder caused her to flinch and turn her head to look at Tadashi-san's face. He laughed at her actions and said, "There's no need to be so nervous, Fujino-san, don't be so tense."

Regardless of his casual tone, Shizuru was not comfortable with the situation. Tadashi was quite tall and obviously in good shape, making him rather intimidating to her in their current situation. Not wanting his hand on her any longer, she moved to back away from him, but was stopped when he moved his other hand to grab her wrist.

"Now, now, Fujino-san, or should I say Shizuru, there's really no need for this. We are going to be husband and wife in just a few short weeks, what's the use in resisting it?"

"Please let go of me, I'm really not interested or comfortable with doing this, Tadashi-san. And please call me Fujino-san, you hardly know me."

Anger flashed through his eyes at this comment, and his grip on her wrist tightened. "I will call you whatever I please, Shizuru. And you would do well to stop giving me a hard time now, or there will be trouble in the future when we are actually married. I will not have a troublesome wife!" His tone was harsh, but not loud enough to garner any attention from outside the room.

He then moved to kiss Shizuru's mouth, but she turned her head at the last second, his lips falling on her cheek instead. Kouji was furious. Never had a woman refused him before. His good looks and status as an heir to a multi-billion dollar corporation always gave him his pick of gorgeous women. He wasn't about to be denied what he wanted. Grabbing both of her wrists, he twisted them and held them with one hand behind her back. With his other hand he grabbed her chin roughly and forced a kiss on her mouth.

Shizuru felt the bile rising in her throat as he kissed her with his tongue snaking around her mouth. She'd never felt so turned off by anything in her life. She was helpless to knee him in the groin, as her kimono made it impossible for her to lift her leg up. Struggling seemed to be of no use, as his strong grip held her firmly where he wanted her. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she prayed for him to stop.

When he pulled back she was weak from fear. And when she attempted to open her mouth and scream or yell for help, no sound could be formed in her throat. He sneered at her and said, "That ought to show you what happens when you try to act all high and mighty with me. It's best that you learn these lessons now, so I don't have to keep you in line when we're married." He then shoved her to the ground and got on top of her. "It's too bad you're wearing a traditional kimono, or this would've been a lot easier for me. I guess I'll just have to take what I can."

He groped her breast through the fabric of her kimono. Smiling, he said, "Well, at least you're well-endowed, I'd expect no less from someone who is to be my wife." With her arms now free, Shizuru tried to push him away, but her strength was no match for his and her efforts were futile. She tried to yell for help, but it only came out as a whisper. He laughed at her, "Please, you're making yourself look ridiculous, just lay back and accept it."

By now, tears were streaming out of her eyes and helplessness had consumed her body. She never would have expected her fiancé would be such an evil person or that anything remotely like this could've transpired at their first meeting. One word repeated itself in her mind over and over, like a mantra. _Natsuki_.

_Please save me, Natsuki_.

As Kouji was hiking up her kimono, she heard a commotion outside the door. Within seconds, the doors burst open; and through her tear-filled eyes she discerned the image of a raven-haired girl running towards them yelling, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, you filthy bastard!"

_Natsuki!_ Shizuru wanted to yell, but she still could not find her voice. Instead she watched as Natsuki grabbed Kouji by the back of his collar, pulling him back, and then landing a strong uppercut on his jaw. He fell backwards onto the floor and was attacked by Natsuki before he could recover. She pummeled him until she was sure he wouldn't be a problem and then went to Shizuru.

Meanwhile the two assistants stood shocked at the scene before them. They hurriedly whipped out their cell phones, making calls to their superiors to report the situation. The marriage arrangement was called off by both parties within the hour.

Leaning over Shizuru, Natsuki cradled her face with her hand, asking, "Are you ok? Did he hurt you? What did he do to you?" The worry, fear, and concern were etched on her face as she examined her friend with her eyes, taking in her disheveled kimono and bruised lips. Unable to answer her at the moment, Shizuru began to cry again. Interpreting her silence to mean the worst, Natsuki's eyes widened and rage welled up in her chest. "I'm going to kill him," she stated matter-of-factly as she stood up with a murderous look flashing in her eyes.

"Wait," Shizuru choked out. "Wait," she repeated in a stronger voice as she sat up and grabbed Natsuki's arm to stop her. Natsuki looked at her, waiting for her to tell her why she shouldn't go kill that bastard right here and now.

"I'm...ok. He didn't...rape me, he was going to, but you came in time to stop him. So please, don't get yourself in trouble by killing him or harming him any further. I'll press charges and have the police take care of him, so just...take me home, please."

Shizuru watched with relief as Natsuki calmed down and returned to her side. She helped Shizuru up and led her out of the hotel, but not before making sure Shizuru's assistant called the police and took care of the situation there. Natsuki wanted to punch her too, for leaving Shizuru alone and obliviously letting this happen to her, but she managed to restrain herself.

The police were waiting to question Shizuru about the events that had taken place when they arrived at her house in their cab. She sadly bid Natsuki farewell, telling her she would come to her apartment as soon as all of this mess was taken care of. Natsuki nodded in understanding, giving Shizuru's hand a reassuring squeeze before making her way home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: **This chapter is pretty much all lemon, so don't read it if it bothers you to read yuri lemons! I do plan on continuing the story so this is not the last chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews everbody!

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_Rearranged: Chapter 4_

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The entire day passed and Natsuki had yet to hear from or see Shizuru. It was now dark outside and she was beginning to wonder if she would even see her today. Maybe her parents had forbade her from leaving their house, or maybe the questioning from the police had taken a really long time. Either way, Natsuki was becoming more worried with each minute that ticked by.

She wanted to see her. No, she _needed_ to see her.

The sound of footsteps running up the stairs of her apartment building alerted her. She waited, holding her breath, to see if they belonged to the person she hoped they belonged to.

_Knock Knock_

It was her. She was finally there. Suddenly the anticipation that had been building all day as she'd waited for this moment to come began to well up inside her so that she felt she might burst. Going to the door, she opened it with as much calm as she could muster.

Natsuki barely glimpsed the look of joy and relief on Shizuru's face before she was nearly knocked over by her embrace. Shizuru's arms were wrapped tightly about her, and her face was buried into her hair. Natsuki returned the hug just as tightly, relishing in the scent and feel of the girl she'd been longing to see for what seemed like an eternity.

The feel of the cold night air brought Natsuki back to her senses; and without relinquishing her hold on the other girl, she leaned forward and closed the door, locking it. She then pulled back slightly to gaze upon Shizuru's face. Light bruising was evident around her jaw, and her lips were slightly bruised as well. Her eyes were also puffy from the shedding of countless tears. Anger and concern flared up in Natsuki's chest at the sight. She raised her hand and trailed her fingertips over the other girl's face in the gentlest of touches.

"How could he do this to you?" Natsuki whispered in disbelief.

Shizuru grabbed her hand, holding it to her face. Their eyes met, and the need each of them felt became almost tangible.

"Let me get your coat for you," Natsuki said, swallowing the lump that had risen in her throat.

Shizuru shrugged it off and handed it too her and Natsuki hung it on the coat rack as she removed her shoes. That taken care of, Natsuki held her hand out to Shizuru and pulled the girl to her once more. She leaned in to give Shizuru a kiss, but then hesitated, wanting first to drink in the sight of the other girl's closed eyes and parted lips. Just as Shizuru was opening her eyes to see what was taking so long, Natsuki leaned in and captured her lips.

_Finally_. That was the thought in each of their minds as they slowly kissed one another. Natsuki was gentle, massaging the other girl's lips in the most tender kiss they'd ever shared. Shizuru's heart melted at the love and care that Natsuki was showing her, and she lost herself completely in the amazing kiss.

After several minutes they pulled away, breathless. Natsuki noticed her hands had found their way under Shizuru's top and were rubbing and caressing the skin at her waist. She smiled and leaned down, nuzzling Shizuru's neck before placing kisses up and down the smooth column of her throat. The other girl leaned her head back, letting out a moan of pleasure at the loving attention.

"Natsuki," she panted, her cheeks flushed, "take me to bed."

Not needing to be asked twice, Natsuki grabbed her hand and led her back to her bedroom. There was no point in being discrete with one another; each knew this was what the other had been wanting all day as they had waited for the time when they would see each other again.

Once inside her room, Natsuki turned to Shizuru and slid her hands under the girl's shirt, lifting it over her head. She then yanked her own shirt over her head, causing Shizuru to giggle at her mussed hair. Grinning, Natsuki brought herself closer to Shizuru and lightly ran her fingers over her collarbone, across the tops of her breasts, and down her stomach to the button of the girl's corduroy pants. She flicked it open and let down the zipper, then pushed the pants down and helped Shizuru step out of them.

She stepped back to look at Shizuru's underwear-clad form, marveling at her friend's sexiness. Her eyes' exploration halted when she noticed the bruising on Shizuru's arms. _That guy must've had a pretty hard grip on her_, Natsuki observed, because the bruises were fairly dark. She brought herself close to Shizuru and gingerly lifted one of her arms.

"I'm so sorry Shizuru," she whispered as she lightly kissed the bruises, "I should've gotten there sooner, I should've stopped him before he could hurt you."

"Natsuki, no, it's not your fault. Please don't place any blame on yourself. Besides, if it wasn't for you who knows what he would have..." Shizuru stopped herself, unable to voice the awfulness that might have transpired. They clung to each other, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Let's not think about that anymore tonight; I just want to be with you," Shizuru said.

Natsuki nodded, her body already starting to react to the feel of Shizuru's skin touching hers. She slid her hands up Shizuru's back, eliciting a shiver from the taller girl, and then undid the clasp of her bra. Letting her fingernails lightly scrape across Shizuru's shoulders, she brought the straps of her bra down her arms and let it fall to the floor.

"So beautiful," she murmured as she kissed her way down to Shizuru's breasts. After giving them ample attention and receiving many satisfied moans from Shizuru, Natsuki felt her head being pulled up.

"It's my turn," said Shizuru as she pushed Natsuki backwards towards the bed until the backs of her legs hit the mattress. Losing her balance, she fell onto her back and was immediately pounced on by Shizuru. Her jeans were quickly undone and she lifted her hips so Shizuru could slide them off. With that taken care of, Shizuru crawled up Natsuki's body so that they were face-to-face and initiated a passionate kiss. Their tongues battled for supremacy, Shizuru eventually winning out as she let her body lay across Natsuki's, pushing her down into the mattress.

When they broke apart, Shizuru sat up, straddling Natsuki's hips. She lovingly caressed Natsuki's cheek with her hand and then moved it down to deftly undo the front clasp on her bra. An appreciative smirk curled her lips as she skillfully fondled and teased the girl's lovely bosom. Unable to resist, she leaned down and kissed Natsuki's breasts, letting her tongue lave over her nipples until the other girl was squirming and panting at the sensations.

Moving down Natsuki's body, Shizuru reached her panties and her heart beat faster as she hovered over this unexplored territory. She lightly stroked the center of her dampened panties, watching as Natsuki's thighs trembled at the contact. Hooking her fingers on the sides, she pulled down the undergarment and tossed it over her shoulder to join the rest of their clothes on the floor.

Natsuki opened her eyes and looked down just in time to see Shizuru lower her face to her aching center. At the first touch of Shizuru's tongue, Natsuki's mind blanked and she let out a breathy moan of pleasure. And just when she thought nothing could possibly feel better, Shizuru inserted two fingers and began stroking her while sucking on her most sensitive area. The feel of Shizuru's ministrations, combined with the sight of her touching her in the most intimate of ways, brought Natsuki to her first orgasm. Her body shuddered as wave after wave of ecstasy coursed through her, her hips instinctively thrusting into Shizuru's palm.

Shizuru watched as she went over the edge, her fingers continuing their assault until Natsuki's walls finished pulsing around her. She withdrew her hand and moved up to hold Natsuki in her arms, loving the sound of Natsuki's labored breathing and the sight of her flushed face. Unable to speak, Natsuki pressed herself further into Shizuru's embrace, the curves of their bodies melting together. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until Natsuki calmed down and was finally able to lift her head to look at the face of her lover.

"Shizuru...that was...I...," she fumbled for the words to express how amazing the experience had been for her.

"Shhh," Shizuru pressed a finger to her lips, "Just kiss me."

Natsuki needed no further encouragement as she leaned in and sealed her mouth against Shizuru's. Natsuki could taste her desire in Shizuru's mouth as their tongues twisted together and it fueled her excitement. She pulled her head from the kiss, their lips making a slight 'pop' as they separated.

"Shizuru," she breathed, "let me make love to you."

"Yes, please," Shizuru choked out, wanting nothing more than the younger girl's hands and mouth on her.

Natsuki moved on top of her and began gently sucking and nibbling on Shizuru's earlobe, smiling as she felt the other girl's body writhe beneath her. She then moved down to her chest, once more tasting the sweet flesh of her breasts while trailing her right hand down to the soft patch of curls between Shizuru's legs. She lightly stroked her womanhood, not exactly sure if she was doing it correctly. Shizuru seemed to approve however, if the pleased noises she was emitting were any indication. Wanting more, she moved to the apex of Shizuru's thighs and removed her panties. Feeling the wetness there with her fingers, she brought them to her lips and tasted Shizuru's desire, surprised at the sweetness she detected.

Natsuki then went to work, delving her tongue into Shizuru's folds while stroking her with her fingers. She felt Shizuru thread her fingers through her hair, pulling her closer as she rocked against her mouth. It wasn't long before she felt Shizuru tense, screaming out her name as she reached her release, her body jerking with the force of her orgasm.

Resting her head against Shizuru's leg, Natsuki smiled with satisfaction at bringing the other girl to her climax. She felt Shizuru pulling at her, so she moved over her, kissing her deeply and thoroughly before lowering herself to rest against the taller girl's body. They stayed like that for some time, feeling each other's hearts beating and listening to each other breathe. Eventually, Natsuki rolled off to Shizuru's side, taking the other girl's hand and lacing their fingers together.

They lay there, looking at each other, in post-coital bliss. Their eyes held a mixture of love, wonderment, and contentedness.

"I love you," Natsuki said, giving Shizuru's hand a squeeze.

"I love you too," Shizuru replied.

Natsuki found it was becoming impossible to keep her eyes open, so she reached down and pulled the covers up over them. Cuddling close together, they shared a final kiss before falling into a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Note:** This is kind of a transition chapter so it's not very long. Thanks again to all of the reviewers, it really inspires me to write!

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_Rearranged: Chapter 5

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_Shizuru's eyes fluttered open. It was still dark outside and the room was bathed only in moonlight. She blinked several times, taking in her surroundings and noticed she wasn't in her own room. Turning to the side, she saw the smooth, bare skin of Natsuki's back and the events of the previous evening came flooding back to her instantaneously. Warmth engulfed her body as she recalled all that had taken place last night. She could feel a blush heat up her face and then a ripple of excitement pass through her as the reality of what had happened made its impact in her mind. 

Propping her head up on one hand, she let her eyes roam freely over Natsuki's form. Her dark hair was spread across her pillow practically begging for Shizuru to run her hands through it. Resisting the urge, she let her gaze continue down the girl's delicate neck to the delicious curve of her shoulder, and down to her slender waist. The bed sheet halted any further exploration as it covered the rest of her body, but Shizuru knew well the loveliness that was hidden beneath it.

She wanted to reach out and touch the sleeping girl, to run her hands over the stretches of skin that her eyes were currently feasting on, but she didn't want to disturb her companion's peaceful slumber. That thought was foregone when she noticed Natsuki's body shiver from the slight chill in the apartment, and a wave of goosebumps spread down her arms. Without pause, Shizuru moved close to her and wrapped her right arm around her while pressing herself into Natsuki's back. The other girl's skin was indeed slightly cool from being exposed, so Shizuru pulled the sheet and comforter up over the two of them.

Natsuki stirred very slightly, but did not awake. Smiling mischievously, Shizuru buried her face in the girl's hair, breathing in the scent she'd come to crave. She let her right hand run down Natsuki's side to her hip, lightly caressing it. Then sliding it across her abdomen, she let her fingers just barely brush the top of her curls before bringing it back up and cupping one of the other girl's breasts. She lightly massaged it and began to kiss along Natsuki's neck, stopping at the curve where it met her shoulder to suck and lick at the tender flesh.

It wasn't long before Natsuki awoke, the pleasurable ministrations already causing the heat to pool between her legs. She heard Shizuru call her name and answered in kind while arching her back, pushing her breast further into the other girl's palm. Natsuki wanted more, but was a bit embarrassed to ask for it, so she let out a whimper of frustration. Shizuru knew exactly what she wanted, moving her left arm underneath the other girl's body to encircle her. Her left hand took over the fondling of Natsuki's breasts while her right hand moved down to the juncture between her thighs. The wetness she felt there brought a smile of smug satisfaction to her face.

Natsuki came quickly under the sure strokes of Shizuru's hand and the breathy words whispered in her ear. And when she had recovered she turned around and flipped Shizuru onto her back, returning the favor in full.

* * *

The sunlight had been streaming in through the blinds for some time when they finally roused themselves from their languorous state. Throwing on underwear and t-shirts, they went out to the kitchen and poured bowls of cereal. They couldn't keep their hands off one another, which slowed down the process considerably and resulted in some spilled milk. After breakfast they flopped down onto the couch, laughing at the smiles that seemed to be permanently affixed on their faces. When Natsuki looked into Shizuru's crimson eyes, all she could see was joy and unconditional love swirling in their depths and it amazed her. She knew that those emotions were reflected in her own eyes as well. 

Seeing Shizuru smiling so happily made everything seem right with the world again. She deserved to have some happiness after the horror she had just been through. The recollection of those events was a sobering thought for Natsuki, and Shizuru noticed her change in demeanor.

"Natsuki, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Ah...nothing, don't worry about it, it's really nothing."

"Listen, if it's about yesterday, don't worry about me. It all just seems like a bad dream now, and it's all thanks to you that I've been able to get past it."

"All I can say is that guy better pay for what he did or I'll take care of him myself."

"I'm sure you would, but I don't think you'll have to worry about that; the charges against him are pretty serious."

"Yeah, well, I'm glad the marriage is off. What are your parents going to do now? Wait, they aren't going to arrange another marriage for you are they?"

"We only talked for a short time before I came over here, but they seem to think that arranged marriages maybe aren't the best idea anymore. I'm sure they still want me to get married, however, and I'm also sure they're expecting that marriage to be with a man."

Natsuki looked slightly crestfallen, "You aren't going to go along with their wishes, right? I mean, I know that it's impossible for you to marry me, but that doesn't mean you'll marry a man for appearances' sake, does it?"

"Natsuki, do you really think I would do that? I'll tell you now that I would give up my position as heir to Fujino Enterprises and run away with you to wherever we had to if it meant that was the only way I could be with you. Hopefully that won't be the case, but you have to know that I would do that, would do anything, so that I could be by your side."

Embarrassed, Natsuki turned her head aside and said, "I'm sorry if I doubted you Shizuru. And thank you, for letting me mean so much to you."

Smiling gently and taking the younger girl into her arms, Shizuru replied, "Please don't thank me for that. If anything, I should be thanking you for everything we've shared. Every time I look at you I can hardly believe this isn't a dream that I'm going to wake from at any moment."

"Shizuru...I love you, and...I would do anything for you, too."

"Oh Natsuki, I love you too."

They stayed in each other's embrace for a while before separating to continue their conversation.

"So, Natsuki, I was thinking it might be a good idea for you to come over to my house sometime...maybe meet my parents?"

"Uhhhh, really? I can't say that I wouldn't be extremely nervous about doing that. I mean, I wouldn't want to make a bad impression or anything; I'm not exactly skilled in polite social interaction."

"Don't worry about it so much, it would be fine. Besides, they're already indebted to you for saving me yesterday."

"Alright, I guess I really should meet them since you come over here so often. They're probably wondering who I am."

Shizuru clapped her hands together, "Well then it's settled. I'll talk to them today and arrange a day when you can come over and we can all have dinner together. Thank you Natsuki!"

She then clobbered the other girl, peppering her face with kisses as she poked and tickled her stomach. They winded up laying across the couch as Natsuki was finally able to halt her assault and grab her hands, pinning them above her head. This made for an interesting, if not arousing, position.

It was late afternoon when Shizuru was finally able to summon the willpower to return home.


	6. Chapter 6

_Rearranged: Chapter 6_

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_The following week of school seemed to last an eternity for Natsuki. She would have skipped if it weren't for Shizuru insisting that she attend. School to her was just a stretch of time where she wasn't able to talk to or see Shizuru. Her friends at school couldn't help but notice the change in her behavior and attitude. She would daydream in class for the entire lesson, never really paying attention to anything that was going on. And when guys tried to talk to her, she would answer in a nonchalant tone instead of her usual biting sarcasm. Not to mention the glow that seemed to surround her and the small smile that was always on her lips. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Mai confronted her at lunch on Tuesday. 

"Natsuki, what's up with you this week? You've been acting differently."

"Have I? I wonder..."

"Eh? What kind of an answer is that? Let me explain it to you: You have this dreamy look on your face all day and you haven't told off anybody once. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love."

"Why wouldn't I be in love, I mean--"

"So you're saying you really are in love?" Mai interrupted in disbelief.

A chorus of shocked exclamations arose from the rest of the girls at the table. Natsuki blushed as she became the focus of their rapt attention.

"Ok, ok," said Mai excitedly, "you have to tell us who he is!"

"Uh, well, I don't really feel like saying right now..." Natsuki replied hesitantly.

"Does Fujino-san know?" asked Haruka.

Natsuki's blush deepened, "Well, you see..."

"Why would it matter if Fujino-san knew?" asked Mikoto innocently.

"Because Fujino-san's in lo--," began Haruka before Yukino clapped a hand over her mouth.

"More importantly, does this person know you love them?" asked Mai.

"Um, y-yeah..." Natsuki was becoming a little worried at the direction this conversation was taking.

"Ah! So that means they must be in love with you too if they know you love them and you're in such a good mood all the time." A wicked grin appeared on Mai's face, "Hmmm, so have you guys, you know, kissed or...maybe even more?"

Natsuki didn't want to answer that question. Her eyes darted around, trying not to look at anyone, and her face turned a brighter shade of red, if possible. Of course, this reaction told the group of girls the answer to that question and they all gasped in shock. The shock was soon replaced by a series of ooo's and catcalls, and Natsuki wished she could disappear.

"Natsuki."

Natsuki's head whipped around at the sound of that voice. Sure enough, Shizuru herself was walking towards her down the row of tables, a bright smile on her face. The group of girls watched in fascination as Natsuki seemed to zone out everything around her, her gaze and attention focused solely on the approaching woman. They watched as she got up from her sitting position at the lunch table and headed for Fujino-san, stopping in close proximity to her.

"Shizuru...what brings you here?" Natsuki looked at her questioningly.

"Ara! Well, besides wanting to see my lovely Natsuki-chan, I also wanted to bring you these cookies I made this morning." Shizuru presented a neatly wrapped package to the girl, her eyes lighting as Natsuki carefully took it from her, their hands grazing each other's briefly.

Their eyes met in an intense look they'd become accustomed to sharing lately. Knowing this wasn't the time or the place, they broke the stare. Natsuki cleared her throat and Shizuru let out a gentle laugh.

"Take care Natsuki. Call me when you get out of school, ne?"

"Yeah, ok, I'll talk to you then. Thanks for the cookies."

"Of course, I hope you enjoy them."

With that, Shizuru left the premises as Natsuki returned to her group of friends. During the entire exchange, the group of girls had observed every detail of the interaction between the two. There was a certain level of intimacy between them that hadn't existed before. And that heated look that had passed between them could definitely not be overlooked. So when Natsuki returned, the knowing looks on their faces made her more than a little nervous. _Shit, I've been found out_.

After she'd sat down, Mai looked at the box of cookies and then looked back up at Natsuki's face. "Fujino-san wouldn't happen to be the one that you're--"

"Yes," Natsuki quickly interrupted, blushing hard.

Mai's eyebrows raised for an instant, but the look of surprise at Natsuki's admission was quickly replaced by a friendly smile, "Congratulations."

Natsuki looked up at her friend's face and relaxed as she realized she was truly happy for her.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Well, everyone knows about us now, although I'm sure that's exactly what you expected to happen." 

"Ara? You say that as if you suspect I'd planned the whole thing."

Natsuki was in her apartment talking to Shizuru over the phone. She was sprawled out across her bed, exhausted from the endless torrent of questions she'd be answering about their relationship all day. Luckily, her friends all took the news in stride and seemed to be genuinely supportive of her.

"Hmmm? Are you saying you didn't plan the whole thing?"

"Would it matter to you if I did?"

"Mmmm, I guess not."

"Good, then I planned the whole thing. I want to make sure everyone knows Natsuki-chan is mine."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that now. I'm pretty sure that everyone knows."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I talked to my parents and tomorrow night will work out for us to all eat dinner together. Is that ok with you?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine. But...you don't think your parents will be able to tell do you? About us, that is."

"Well, we'll just have to be discreet now won't we?"

"Yeah...discreet."

"I'm sorry Natsuki, but I've got to go, my mother is calling for me. I'll have a car come pick you up tomorrow at 6 for dinner. See you then!"

"Alright, bye."

Flipping her phone shut, Natsuki let out a sigh. Suddenly a thought hit her, _What the hell am I going to wear?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** The review response has been awesome, thanks everyone! I probably won't get another chapter up until next week b/c I don't write on the weekends. I hope everyone enjoys this one, and please keep reviewing!

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_Rearranged: Chapter 7_ _

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The black sedan rolled down the gravel driveway, rocks crunching under its tires, as it made its way towards the Fujino estate. Natsuki couldn't help but feel intimidated as she looked upon the imposing structure. This was the first time she'd been past the front gate, always opting to wait outside the grounds for Shizuru to meet up with her. She had been to Shizuru's Japanese-style home close to Fuuka Academy before; the one her parent's had bought so she could live closer to school. Never had she been to this, her family's main home in the wealthiest area of town. It was built in the style of western architecture, and had an unfamiliar feel to it, only serving to make Natsuki feel more nervous.

Looking down at her lap, she hoped that the elegant black dress she was wearing was appropriate for the occasion. She was sure that having dinner with any one of her other friends' parents wouldn't be nearly such an ordeal; but then again, she wasn't in love with any of her other friends. That thought made her smile a little. She was doing this for Shizuru and for her and Shizuru's relationship.

The car reached the front steps that led up to the large front doors of the mansion. The driver came around and helped her out of the car. She acquiesced, but was a bit embarrassed at the action. She followed him up the steps and waited as he knocked on the front door. A butler opened it shortly and asked, "Ms. Kuga I presume?"

She nodded and he said, "Ah yes, we've been expecting you. Please wait inside while I tell the mistress of the house you are here."

"Alright, thanks," she replied as she stepped into the foyer. After giving the butler her coat, she was shown to a sofa in the adjacent sitting room. The opulence of the house's interior astounded her. She had never been in such an extravagantly decorated home before.

Waiting patiently, she let her eyes roam around the room, observing the artwork, decor, and posh furniture. She heard someone approaching and was relieved to see that it was Shizuru. Relief was immediately replaced by awe, as she practically gaped at her friend's stunning appearance. She had definitely gone all out for the occasion, while still remaining within the boundaries of appropriate taste. Her hair was styled in a beautiful up-do, she wore an excited smile on her glowing face, and her dress was a form-fitting creamy colored silk number that came to just above her knees, with a beige floral appliqué design on the front. Natsuki couldn't take her eyes off of her, everything besides Shizuru seeming to blur from her vision.

Likewise, Shizuru was entranced by the dark-haired girl sitting on the couch in front of her. She'd never seen Natsuki dress up this much for anything, and she was amazed at how incredibly sexy and gorgeous she looked. Of course, she always thought Natsuki looked gorgeous, but when she was dressed in such an alluring little black dress there was a special air to her already irresistible appeal. She was going to have a hard time keeping her hands off of her this evening. Her mind was brought back to the present when she heard Natsuki speaking.

"Shizuru, you look...amazing."

"Thank you," she replied, unable to help the blush that colored her cheeks. "And you look even more exquisitely beautiful than usual."

With a smile of satisfaction, she watched the girl in front of her blush at that comment—of course she knew that it would have that effect.

Trying to clear the haze in her mind brought on by the sight of Natsuki, Shizuru said, "Well, dinner is almost ready, would you like to come meet my parents before we begin?"

"Sure," Natsuki responded, though she was beginning to feel extremely nervous.

"Alright, come with me then," said Shizuru as she grabbed Natsuki's wrist, leading her from the room. She knew Natsuki could've followed her on her own, but she couldn't resist the urge to touch the girl in some way. The feel of her thin wrist encircled by her hand was doing funny things to her stomach, and she realized she'd better stop if she didn't want her parents noticing anything. Her hold on Natsuki's wrist was released as they neared the dining room. She politely knocked on the door, waiting for her father to say 'come in' before she opened it.

Inside, her parents were enjoying a glass of wine before dinner, and they rose as she and Natsuki entered the room.

"Ah, so this is the Natsuki we've heard about; it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Mr. Fujino, and this is my wife Mrs. Fujino."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, I'm Natsuki Kuga," she replied while bowing politely. She then added, "And thank you for inviting me to dinner this evening."

"But of course," said Mr. Fujino.

"My!" Mrs. Fujino began, "Natsuki is such a lovely girl! Shizuru, you never told me your friend was so darling!"

Natsuki felt her face turn beet red as she looked down and managed a small 'thank you.'

"Mother, you're embarrassing her, stop teasing," said Shizuru in a scolding tone.

_So that's where she got it_, thought Natsuki.

"Alright, I'm sorry dear, why don't we all sit down for dinner?"

They all then took their seats; Natsuki and Shizuru sitting side-by-side on one side of the table and Shizuru's parents sitting across from them. The table was elegantly set, and candles provided a warm glow in the room. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was lowly lit, and it's crystals sparkled above them. All of these things set the mood for an elegant dining atmosphere.

A few more pleasantries were exchanged before the first course was brought out, and as they ate, Mr. Fujino addressed Natsuki.

"Natsuki, we are greatly indebted to you for saving Shizuru from that terrible predicament several days ago. I would like to express my gratitude for your timely actions; I really cannot thank you enough."

Natsuki wasn't quite sure how to respond to this, so she bowed her head and said, "You are more than welcome, I'm also glad that I was able to make it in time."

"Yes, I'm curious, how is it that you made it there at just the right moment; it is truly amazing," he asked her.

"I-I'm not really sure," Natsuki stuttered nervously.

"Best friend's intuition perhaps?"

"Yeah...something like that I guess." She inwardly sighed with relief that she was able to get out of that one.

They continued on with their meal, carrying on with polite conversation and not mentioning the incident again. _Fortunately_, thought Natsuki.

As they were working on their entrées, Mrs. Fujino spoke. "Well, Shizuru is quite the eligible bachelorette, it is quite puzzling to me that she doesn't have suitors calling on her. Natsuki, you really must help her find some suitable men to talk to."

"Mother!" Shizuru said sharply. "Please don't do this at the dinner table."

"Well, I'm only saying that I'm baffled as to why you aren't dating more. I really don't understand it."

"I know what you're saying, but could you please not bring it up now."

"Fine fine. But you really should have Natsuki help you. I'm sure she's fighting them off with a stick, as pretty as she is."

"Yeah..." Natsuki mumbled. It was partially true after all; she had beaten up Masashi-kun on more than one occasion. And there had been quite a few guys trying to ask her out at school.

Shizuru turned towards her, giving her a questioning look. There were men coming after her Natsuki and she wasn't aware of it? The jealousy and possessiveness that flashed in her eyes did not go unnoticed, and her parents gave each other a sidelong glance.

"See, I knew it," said her mother, "you really should have her help you out with your men problems, dear."

Shizuru just let out a sigh, realizing that any further argument with her mother was futile. The rest of the dinner was mostly silent. Some light small talk here and there managed to make things a little less awkward.

When they finally finished, Mrs. Fujino turned to Natsuki and asked, "So Natsuki, will you be staying over tonight? We could have someone take you to school in the morning if you'd like. And maybe you could give Shizuru some tips about you-know-what." She winked after she said that last part, making Shizuru fume at her persistence.

"Ah, sure, I suppose if it's alright with you then I would love to stay over."

"Lovely! Well you and Shizuru run along. We probably won't see you tomorrow morning because we have to leave early for a business trip, but it was very nice to meet you Natsuki."

"It was nice meeting you, and thank you very much for the meal."

"You're very welcome. Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight," they both said, before retreating from the dining room.

Natsuki and Shizuru made their way up the stairs to the second floor where her bedroom was located. Shizuru couldn't help but watch the delicious way in which Natsuki's body moved as she walked up the stairs in front of her. Forgetting about the conversation at dinner, she could only think about how much she wanted to ravish the girl in front of her.

When they reached the door to her bedroom, Shizuru let Natsuki walk in first and then closed the door behind them, locking it. Natsuki was busy looking around Shizuru's room, admiring the stylish décor, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. She felt Shizuru press her body close to her back as her arms tightened their hold, one hand moving to squeeze her breast.

"You look so good in this dress, all I've been able to think about is how much I want to take it off of you," Shizuru said hotly in her ear, letting her teeth graze her earlobe.

"Shizuru," Natsuki moaned, "we shouldn't do this, you're parents are downstairs."

"I don't care, we'll just have to keep it down, but I have to have you tonight."

With that, she moved her mouth to Natsuki's neck, just behind her ear, and began sucking at licking the spot with fervor. "You taste so good," she whispered against her skin, before moving down to her shoulder and repeating the action.

"Shizuru, kiss me please," said Natsuki, turning her head so their lips could meet. It felt like it had been ages since their last kiss several days ago. Each girl reveled in the feeling, their mouths consuming each other as tongues thrust hotly together. Natsuki felt her knees weakening as passion overwhelmed her body. Feeling her sink slightly in her arms, Shizuru brought Natsuki to the edge of the bed, turning her around and seating her on the edge.

Shizuru knelt in front of her, removing both of their shoes and then sliding her hands up Natsuki's thighs, pushing her dress up. When she reached her panties she hooked her fingers on them and pulled them down. Using her hands, she spread Natsuki's legs and pulled her towards her before bringing her mouth to the other girl's sweet center.

Natsuki let out a silent moan as she dropped back onto her elbows. Arching her back in pleasure, she felt Shizuru grasp her hips to keep her in place. Each lick of the girl's tongue brought her closer to release, and she fell fully onto her back as her body trembled under Shizuru's mouth. Within seconds she was overtaken by her orgasm, and she grabbed a pillow from the bed to muffle her moans.

Shizuru watched Natsuki's chest rising and falling quickly as her breathing recovered. She had been wanting to do that all night and she licked her lips in smug satisfaction. Standing up, she unzipped her dress and draped it across a chair in her room and then walked back over to Natsuki.

Lifting her head, Natsuki eyes were greeted with the sight of an undressed Shizuru in a lacy nude-colored lingerie ensemble. She let her eyes rake over the older girl's nicely-shaped legs, firm stomach, and full breasts; falling lastly on her lover's beautiful face. They shared an ardent look before Natsuki stood up and pulled her dress up over her head, leaving her completely naked. It was Shizuru's turn to stare as her eyes roamed all over the other girl's body. Wordlessly, Natsuki approached Shizuru until she was standing as close as she could to her without touching.

Shizuru waited with bated breath as she watched the other girl's eyes wander over her face. Natsuki raised her hands to Shizuru's hair that was still arranged in her up-do.

"Your hair is beautiful like this," she said as she undid it, letting Shizuru's hair cascade down. Natsuki then ran her fingers through it lovingly, watching as Shizuru's eyes became heavy-lidded with desire. Leaning in, Natsuki kissed Shizuru's mouth gently, teasing the other girl's lips with her tongue. Shizuru moaned in frustration, causing Natsuki to surrender and crush her mouth against the other girl's while pressing their bodies together.

Separating from the kiss, Natsuki moved down to kiss between Shizuru's breasts, nuzzling her face into her chest as she reached around and undid her bra. Tossing it aside, she captured one of her nipples with her mouth as Shizuru gasped out in pleasure. She used her hand to push the breast up to her mouth, swirling her tongue around the hardened pebble. Going to work on the other breast, she moved a hand down to the heat between Shizuru's thighs, pushing aside her panties and sliding her finger against the slick wetness she found there.

Feeling Shizuru shaking under her hands, Natsuki moved her over to the bed where she laid her down and slid her last remaining garment off. Crawling over her, she placed a quick kiss on her lips before moving down to her center. Focusing all of her attention on the swollen nub, she licked and sucked until Shizuru shattered under her, her body convulsing over and over until she reached completion.

Finally sated, they lay next to each other, basking in their love and affection. They soon got up, put on their sleepwear and got ready for bed. Once they had settled back under the covers, they cuddled close to one another and kissed slowly as their hands ran over each other's bodies. Remembering the conversation at dinner, Shizuru pulled back and looked at Natsuki with her usual teasing grin.

"So, are you going to give me a few pointers about dating guys, or is that information you prefer not to share with anyone?"

"Hmmm, if I told you I'd have to kill you, that information is top secret you know," Natsuki joked back.

Shizuru's smile faltered for a moment and she asked, "Are you really fending off a bunch of guys all the time?"

Holding her tighter, Natsuki reassured her, "It's nothing you need to be concerned about, I promise. There are a few guys who've asked me out at school, but I always set them straight, so really, it's ok."

"Good. I wouldn't want to have to take drastic action against anyone, but I wouldn't hesitate if it was necessary you know."

"Yes, I know."

Shizuru let out a sigh and then a smile curved her lips, "Well, that really wore me out, why don't we go to sleep?"

"Sure thing," Natsuki said sleepily. "Shizuru?"

"Yes?"

"I really do love you, you know."

"I know. I love you too, my Natsuki-chan."


	8. Chapter 8

_Rearranged: Chapter 8_

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Natsuki awoke the next morning wrapped in Shizuru's arms. It was so comfortable and warm she almost went back to sleep, but Shizuru's parents _did_ arrange to have her taken to school so she had to wake up. Placing a light kiss on Shizuru's lips, she watched the other girl's eyes flutter open and said, "I'm getting up now to get ready for school. You don't have to get up."

Making an unintelligible sound of frustration, Shizuru grabbed Natsuki and pulled her back down onto the bed and held her tightly in place. "No, you're staying right here," she said, her voice hoarse from sleeping.

"Of course I'd rather stay here, but you know I have to go."

Shizuru was about to protest again, but a sharp knock on the bedroom door startled them, causing Shizuru to release her raven-haired captive.

"Pardon me Miss, but I must remind you that your guest shall be leaving shortly and needs to be downstairs for the car in fifteen minutes," a voice said from outside the door.

"Alright, thank you," Shizuru called out.

Turning to Natsuki, she said playfully, "Well, I guess you won this time, but next time you won't get away so easily!"

"Please, it's not like I want to get away. By the way, what are you going to do today?" Natsuki asked as she began dressing for school.

"Well, my parents are out of town now so I don't really have anything I'm obligated to do. Maybe I could come over to your place tonight?"

"Sure," Natsuki quickly agreed, her mind already racing at the prospect of having Shizuru all to herself again.

Once she was ready, she went over to the bed where Shizuru was sitting and tried to quickly kiss the girl goodbye. Shizuru had other plans however, and held Natsuki's head in place as she deepened the kiss. She smiled at the glazed-over look in Natsuki's eyes as she pulled back. "Goodbye, love," she said, "call me after school, ok?"

"Yeah," Natsuki mumbled, still entranced by the kiss. "See you later," she added as she made her way to the door. With one last look back at Shizuru she left the room to go downstairs.

The driver was waiting for her in the foyer. "Ready to go?" he asked her as she approached.

She nodded and followed him out to the car where he let her into the backseat. The ride to school passed without incident. Natsuki was so lost in thought she barely noticed when they pulled up to Fuuka Academy, coming out of her daydream only when the car came to a stop. The driver walked around to her door and opened it so she could exit the car.

As she was about to walk away, he stopped her and said, "I was instructed to give this to you by Mr. Fujino."

Natsuki looked down and saw that he was handing her an envelope. When she took it from him he tipped his hat and got back in the car, driving off. _What could this be?_ Deciding to open it once she got to her desk, she started heading towards the school.

Once in class, she saw that she still had a few minutes before the lesson started so she got out the envelope and opened it. She unfolded the paper and read:

_Ms. Natsuki Kuga,_

_Mrs. Fujino and I enjoyed our dinner with you last evening, __but I'm afraid that _

_is not the subject of this letter. It has come __to our attention that you have become _

_involved in an illicit __relationship with our daughter that exceeds the boundaries _

_of an appropriate friendship. This knowledge has left me __greatly vexed, and I feel _

_I must put an end to this matter __before serious damage is done. I forbid you from _

_seeing or __contacting my daughter again in the name of her and our __family's best _

_interests. If you care about my daughter's __future, you will respect my wishes. Surely _

_you must realize __the negative impact this relationship could have on the __Fujino _

_name __if it were to become public. I will not have __such a disaster occur as a result of _

_young __foolishness. I __trust you will make the correct choice so that I will not have __to _

_make it for you. _

_Please destroy this letter once you have finished reading it __so that it does not fall _

_into the wrong hands. _

_-Mr. Fujino_

Natsuki stared at the letter in shock after she finished reading it. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her stomach felt like it had twisted into a knot. She couldn't form a coherent thought and she felt like she was going to be sick.

"Hey, Kuga-san, are you alright?" a fellow classmate asked.

She turned to him in a daze, not even registering what he had said.

"You look really pale, maybe you should go see the nurse," someone else said.

Standing up from her desk, she wordlessly walked toward the door and down the hall to the bathroom. Going to a sink, she splashed water on her face, and that managed to bring her back to her senses. Immediately, countless questions flashed through her mind.

_How did he find out? Was someone listening to us? Does Shizuru know about this yet? What the hell am I going to do now?..._

Shaking her head she told herself: O_k, I need to think logically. First I'll call Shizuru and see if she knows about any of this._

She pulled out her cell phone and called Shizuru's cell; there was no answer. _That's strange_, she thought, _surely they wouldn't have taken away her cell phone..._

The bell to begin first period rang so Natsuki ran back to class, her mind still in overdrive. She decided to go to Shizuru's house after school and see if she could get into contact with her. Shizuru's parents weren't in town for today at least, maybe it wouldn't be too hard.

The rest of the day passed, and when school let out she got a ride home with a classmate to her apartment. She then hopped on her motorcycle and quickly made her way over to Shizuru's. The gate was closed so she used the call box.

"May I ask your name and the purpose of your visit?" a male voice asked after she pressed the button.

"This is Natsuki Kuga and I'm here to talk with Shizuru, please."

"Ah, I'm sorry, but Ms. Fujino has expressed that she does not wish to see you anymore. As such, I cannot let you into the estate."

"That's bullshit! What's happened to Shizuru? If she's been shut up in this house against her will someone's going to be sorry!"

"That is not of your concern. Please leave now."

Furious, Natsuki throttled her bike and began riding around the perimeter of the estate, trying to find another way in.Maybe there was a back entrance somewhere? The walls were about 10 feet high all around with steel spires running along the top, so climbing the wall was out of the question. When she got to the back of the estate, she noticed a small, gated service entrance. It also appeared to operate by way of a call box, so she was going to have to sneak in somehow. The best time to attempt such a feat would be at night and it wasn't going to be dark for a couple more hours.

As she rode off to kill some time and to plan out her infiltration of the Fujino estate, Natsuki realized she hadn't even thought twice about doing such a reckless thing. If it was for the sake of Shizuru, she would do anything. Just thinking that her friend might be suffering in any way made her want to take the house by storm, without regard for the consequences. But, she knew she'd have a better chance of actually getting to Shizuru if she acted covertly, so covertly she would act.

Going to a gas station, she topped off her motorcycle before stopping at a nearby café. There, she formulated a plan for sneaking in. It was definitely not failsafe, but it was the best she could come up with.

Before long, it was time to get going. Pushing her fears and doubts to the back of her mind, Natsuki hopped on her bike and made her way off into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Note:** Just to make things clear, I am writing this story with Shizuru and Natsuki not in possession of their HiME powers. Therefore they are both a bit OOC, as having the HiME powers would make a significant difference in how they handle certain situations. Ok, now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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_Rearranged: Chapter 9

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The street behind the Fujino residence was quiet and empty when Natsuki arrived. While not entirely dark due to the street lamps intermittently spaced along the sidewalk, there were still enough shadowy areas around for her to stay concealed. She parked her bike at a distance before making her way to the gate. Now it was just a waiting game: someone would have to leave or enter the gate in order for her to have a chance to slip through. At this time of night, it was more likely that someone would be leaving the house, having finished their work for the day. 

So Natsuki waited. It was nearly an hour before her ears detected the sound of an engine approaching, and she was chilled to the bone from the frigid night air. The gate began to open, and she readied herself. A small, compact car exited, and luckily turned in the opposite direction of Natsuki when it got onto the street. Also fortunately for Natsuki, the gate was somewhat slow to shut, and she was able to dash inside before it closed.

Now inside the grounds, she stayed close to the wall in the shadows as she scoped out her surroundings. From her position she could see the back of the mansion. There were several doors along the back of the house, one of them less conspicuous than the others and probably used by the staff. A few guards were patrolling the yard, but they were at a fair distance from her. The fact that the land between Natsuki and the house was mostly wooded enabled her to sneak up to the back wall without being detected. Crouching down behinds some bushes, she crept up to the door. Trying the handle, she was surprised to find it unlocked. Whoever had left most recently must have forgotten to lock up. They probably weren't accustomed to break-ins very often, if ever, so such a slip-up wasn't to be entirely unexpected.

Once she'd slipped inside, Natsuki noted that she was in some sort of locker room/lounge for the various employees who worked at the estate. There were couches and chairs, as well as bathrooms and changing rooms. Several garment racks lined the wall, with various uniforms hanging from them. Natsuki looked down at her current attire; the black leather bodysuit she wore when riding her motorcycle wasn't exactly the most low profile type of clothing to wear while walking through the interior of a house. She eyed the maid uniforms on the rack, letting out a sigh as she picked out one that looked to be her size and went into a changing room.

She emerged from the room, fully dressed in her new ensemble, and looked at herself in a mirror. The dress was black with white lace trim and short, puffy sleeves. The neck was scooped and the short skirt rested atop a poofed white petticoat. A white pinafore tied around her waist and she wore long white gloves that went just past her elbows. The look was completed by black stockings and black heels. _The women who work here actually wear this?_ She wondered to herself, blushing at her appearance.

There wasn't time to linger, so Natsuki went to the door that led to the rest of the house. She peeped her head out, looking down the hall both ways and saw that the coast was clear. So far it had been fairly easy for her to get in, but she knew that she was bound to come across someone before too long. She quickly made her way down the hallway, being careful to stay as quiet as she possibly could. Though she didn't really know where she was going, she knew she had to head up to the second floor where Shizuru's bedroom was. For now, that was where she was assuming Shizuru was being kept.

Natsuki passed a closed door, behind which she could hear the clanking and clattering of dishes and pots and pans. The kitchen. She realized with excitement that the dining room must be fairly close; she knew how to get to Shizuru's room from there. She hurried her pace.

A woman's voice behind her halted her steps, "Hey you! Stop right there!"

Natsuki turned around. The door to the kitchen had opened and a woman also dressed in a maid's uniform was leaning out of it.

"I need you to help me, so come here," the woman said to her.

_She thinks I work here, whew, I'm glad I decided to change clothes_, Natsuki thought to herself as she walked over to the woman. Natsuki noticed she was looking at her strangely and she began to get nervous.

"Eh? I've never seen you before. What's your name?" the woman asked.

"Uh, I'm Ku...gawa. Kugawa Nat...sume. I'm new here," Natsuki stuttered.

"Kugawa Natsume huh? Well, I heard we were going to get someone new, but I didn't know they were already hired. Anyway, come in here Kugawa-san, I need you to help me carry some things."

_Woah, that was a close one_. Relieved that the woman had bought her story, she followed her into the kitchen. Several trays were laid out on the counter with what appeared to be someone's dinner.

"Alright, grab one of these trays and help me take it upstairs," she told Natsuki.

Complying, Natsuki took one and followed the other maid.

"Who are we taking this to?" she asked her curiously.

"Oh, well the ojou-sama's been confined to her room lately, so we've been having to take her meals up to her."

_We're going to Shizuru's room! What luck! Hmmm, maybe I should get some more information from this woman._

"Why is she being confined to her room?" Natsuki asked innocently.

"You mean you haven't heard about it yet? I thought everyone knew. Anyway, one of the maids was passing by the ojou-sama's room last night and heard some noises inside. I guess she stopped and listened some more—turns out the ojou was having sex with her friend. And what's more, it was her _female_ friend."

Natsuki nearly dropped her tray, her face was bright red.

"Hey! Be careful with that, we'd have some big trouble on our hands if you dropped it."

"Uh, yeah, sorry. I'll be more careful."

"Please do. Where was I? Oh yeah, so the maid told the head maid, and then the head maid told Mr. Fujino. I guess he was pretty angry about it and he told the ojou that she couldn't see or talk to her friend any more and he's been keeping her shut up in her room since then. Apparently he took away her phone too. Things have been pretty tense around here. Not to mention the ojou isn't happy about the current arrangements at all. She's tried to force her way out of her room several times, and has been giving the guards a hell of a time."

"Guards?" asked Natsuki, the anger evident in her voice.

"Yes, the guards. Hey, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Natsuki replied, trying to sound cheery. The other woman seemed satisfied and they continued down the hall. By now they were on the second floor and heading for Shizuru's bedroom. As they neared it, Natsuki could see two men standing in front of the door with weary looks on their faces.

"We're here to bring the ojou-sama her dinner," said the woman to the two guards.

"Alright, go ahead inside, but be careful—she's being extremely difficult," one of them said.

He unlocked the door and let them in. When they entered, Shizuru was sitting off to the right side of the room in her armchair with her head leaned back and her eyes closed. Her hand was holding her forehead as if she had a headache.

"Just set it on the table and leave," she said, without opening her eyes.

"Yes ma'am," said the other woman as she went to the table to set down her tray.

"As you wish, ma'am," said Natsuki, watching as Shizuru's eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice. Their eyes met and time seemed to stand still. Natsuki saw Shizuru mouth her name silently, her face wearing a shocked expression.

The trance was broken when the maid cleared her throat and said, "Kugawa-san...the tray please?"

Natsuki tore her gaze from Shizuru and took her tray over to the table as well.

"Please enjoy your dinner miss, we'll be leaving now," said the maid.

"Wait," Shizuru said. "I'd like the girl with you to stay here, I wish to talk with her."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we really must go. We aren't allowed-"

"_Let_ her stay, or I will be very, very displeased," said Shizuru in a quiet, yet intimidating tone.

"Yes ma'am," said the other maid nervously, giving Natsuki a look that said 'be careful' as she walked to the door.

The door shut, and the woman's voice could be heard as she explained to the guards why 'Kugawa-san' was still in the room. She was soon forgotten, however, as Shizuru and Natsuki went to each other.

"I knew you'd come," whispered Shizuru into the other girl's neck as they embraced. She pulled back and let her eyes roam over Natsuki's uniform-clad body.

"Ara? Natsuki-chan looks so adorable, is this for me?"

"Shizuru," Natsuki pleaded, "this is no time for joking, we need to get out of here, and fast." She walked over to the window and looked down—they were definitely too high to exit that way. That left only one other way: back out the door and past the guards.

"Alright Shizuru," she said, "I have a plan..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Note:** Ok, I did some revising on this chapter. I added a tad more detail to the escape and the hotel scene so that it doesn't feel so rushed...hopefully. Also, I may or may not be able to get another chapter up this week before I go to D.C. for the Cherry Blossom festival next week, yay!

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_Rearranged: Chapter 10

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"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes. Get whatever you need together, alright?" 

"Ok, Natsuki. Please be careful," Shizuru responded, worried for her friend's safety.

Natsuki smiled reassuringly, then cupped Shizuru's face and gave her one final kiss before going to the door. She knocked on it and was let into the hall by one of the guards.

"The ojou-sama has requested that I bring her some tea. I will be returning shortly," she told them before proceeding down the hall.

When she got to the kitchen, she informed them as well and waited as a fresh pot of tea was brewed. No questions were asked, and she was soon on her way back up to Shizuru's room with a hot kettle of tea on her tray. _Now for the hard part_.

Heading down the hall toward the guards, she could feel the nervous tension mounting in her chest. She really had no idea if this was going to work or not; she'd just have to take her chances. As soon as she was within a few feet of the first guard, Natsuki grasped the handle of the tea kettle and flung the hot liquid into his face. He let out a strangled yell of pain as it scalded his skin, and fell to the floor, clutching his face in his hands. The other guard soon reacted, shocked at first by the unexpected attack, and came at Natsuki.

He was well-trained, and Natsuki had a hard enough time dodging his punches, let alone being able to land one on him. The maid uniform limited her mobility, not allowing her to fight at her usual level. One of his blows landed on her right cheek, knocking her backwards onto the floor. She struggled to get back to her feet, but her head was spinning from the impact.

"You sneaky bitch," the guard sneered as he approached her, intending to finish her off. She surprised him, however, by sweep-kicking his feet out from under him and bringing him crashing to the ground. She got up and quickly knocked him out with a well-aimed strike. Before she had time to do anything else, an arm snaked around her neck in a tight stranglehold.

"You're going to pay for that," the other guard said to her menacingly as he increased the pressure on her neck. The circulation of blood to her head was slowing, and it had become impossible for her to break the hold he had on her. _Shit, I'm going to die here_, she thought to herself, as black spots began to obscure her vision.

"Bang!"

Natsuki felt the arm around her neck slacken and then fall away as the other guard fell to the floor. She fell to the floor as well, her body weak from the near-suffocation. Her eyes fell on Shizuru, the silver serving tray in her hands, which she had obviously used to whack the guard on the back of the head.

"Natsuki," she said as she knelt down beside the fallen girl. "Are you ok? Can you speak?"

"Unnnnn," Natsuki groaned in pain. "Ugh, yeah, I'm ok...I think."

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Shizuru asked, three fingers displayed on her left hand.

"Uhhh..." Natsuki squinted, her spinning vision making it nearly impossible to discern the number of digits in front of her. Eventually, the multiple images circling around in her field of sight consolidated into one and she could see clearly. "Three."

"Whew, you had me pretty worried there Natsuki."

Back to her senses, Natsuki replied, "I'm ok, but we need to get out of here now. I'm sure someone will be here any second after hearing that commotion."

Shizuru helped her up, putting Natsuki's arm around her shoulder and supporting her with her arm. "We'll go this way," Shizuru said as the began in the opposite direction down the hall, "there's a back staircase we can use."

They had gone down one floor when they heard someone discover the guards' bodies. In no time they were going to see that Shizuru was missing too, time was of the essence.

"Shit, we need to go faster," said Natsuki. "I think I can walk by myself now, my head feels a little better."

They ran down the stairs, keeping their footsteps as light as possible, and were soon at the bottom floor. "Shizuru, do you know where the switch is that opens the gate?" Natsuki asked.

"Yes, there's a security room in the back of the house, follow me."

As they made their way down the hall, Natsuki recognized the door to the staff locker room on her left and stopped, grabbing Shizuru's arm.

"Wait a sec, I gotta get something I left in here," she told Shizuru.

She ran in and grabbed the familiar black leather suit, relieved to see that it was still there. It would have been difficult to get a replacement—getting a suit molded to the curves of her body wasn't an easy process.

With that taken care of, they hurried down the hall and were soon at the door to the security room. Without hesitation, Natsuki burst in, hearing the man in the room say into his transmitter, "...so be on the lookout for the ojou-sama and a dark-haired girl in a maid's uniform—" before she effectively knocked him out from behind. She quickly located the gate switch and activated it, then grabbed Shizuru's hand and opened the rear door, darting outside.

They ran down the small flight of stairs before making a mad dash across the back lawn. The guards outside soon spotted them, and immediately began to chase after them.

"Stop!" one of them shouted, but Shizuru and Natsuki had not intention of giving in so easily. The lingering patches of snow from a prior snowfall made the grass slippery. Natsuki nearly fell when her foot slid out from under her, but Shizuru reacted instantly, grabbing her before she could hit the ground. They kept running, two of the guards close on their tails. A gunshot suddenly rang out from behind them and a bullet whizzed past Shizuru's ear. Another loud crack signaled the firing of another gun, and this time it grazed Natsuki's upper arm. She shouted out in pain, but kept her pace as she ran towards the gate.

"Stop firing you idiots! That's the ojou-sama!" someone yelled. By this time, Natsuki and Shizuru had made it to the gate and were sprinting down the pavement to where Natsuki had parked her motorcycle. It was still sitting there waiting for them, and Natsuki jumped on, pulling Shizuru with her. She hastily revved the engine and they were off.

Natsuki noticed two cars tailing them as she turned the corner and started heading down the main street out of the neighborhood. She would've smiled if she weren't in so much pain, because she effortlessly lost them on her racing bike.

Going to her apartment was out of the question, as they would probably be searched for there first. Instead, Natsuki took the highway and headed out of the city; they would have to stay at a hotel for now. Once they were about 20 miles out, she pulled off and soon found an unassuming hotel that looked decent enough to stay in.

Not wanting to invoke suspicion with her bleeding arm and bruised cheek, Natsuki gave Shizuru some cash and had her go inside to check out a room. She returned shortly, and they were soon within their room and finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

With the adrenaline now out of her system, Natsuki grimaced from the pain of her injuries. Her cheek and head were throbbing from the punch and the stranglehold, and her arm badly stung from where the bullet had grazed her. Shizuru worriedly helped her to the bed and laid her down before searching for a first aid kit. She found a small one in the bathroom containing some bandages and disinfectant and began dressing Natsuki's wounds at once.

"Thank you for rescuing me again," Shizuru said to her as she doctored her arm, "I feel like I haven't done anything for you."

"Don't say that. You've done so much for me ever since I first met you; I still have a long way to go before I can fully make it up to you."

"Shhh...that's not true. You've more than made it up to me. You've given me the one thing I've wanted more than anything else..."

"Shizuru..." Natsuki whispered, seeing the tears forming in the other girl's eyes.

Shizuru quickly wiped them away and smiled at Natsuki, a familiar light gleaming in her eyes as she teasingly said, "So, you've finally whisked me away and gotten me all to yourself. What do you plan to do with me?"

"As much as I'd like to think about that, I'm afraid we're not exactly in the clear yet. Do you think your father will call the police?" Natsuki asked with concern.

"I'm certain my father won't risk the media attention that would come with reporting me kidnapped or missing. He had a hard enough time keeping the fiasco with Tadashi-san under wraps, I doubt he wants to deal with that trouble again. Besides, he knows I'm with you, so he knows I went with you of my own volition."

"That's true. But what should we do now? I kind of didn't plan anything past this point," said Natsuki sheepishly.

"Well I can't say I would mind spending my days and nights alone with you in a hotel room, but what about your classes? You can't stop going to school. Though I suppose you'll have to until I can discuss this with my father and reach some sort of agreement."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be lying in wait for me at the academy, not to mention my apartment."

"Yes, it looks like we'll have to stay in hotels until I can work something out. I won't be able to use my credit card though, I'm sure my father is going to have it monitored to try and track me down."

"Don't worry, I can pay for it."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." Natsuki smiled at her, but her smile was soon replaced by a large yawn.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot how tired you must be. Here, let me help you..."

Shizuru pulled each of the once-white gloves from Natsuki's arms, now stained with dirt and blood from the events of their action-filled escape. Next, she sat Natsuki up and moved to untie the apron from around her waist. Drawing close to her, Shizuru couldn't help the arousal that always surfaced within her whenever she was near the other girl. Neither could she help placing a kiss on Natsuki's neck as she untied the garment and tossed it to the floor.

Drawing back, she looked lustily into Natsuki's eyes and said, "You really will have to wear this again for me after it's been cleaned. I hardly got to enjoy seeing you in it."

Resuming her task, Shizuru leaned back in and began undoing the buttons on the back of the dress, letting her warm breath caress Natsuki's bare neck. She slid the dress down off her hips, removing the petticoat with it. The black heels were taken off one by one, followed by the black stockings. Shizuru pulled them down slowly, her fingers lightly brushing along the skin of Natsuki's shapely legs, causing the girl's breath to hitch. Seeing Natsuki clad only in her bra and panties, Shizuru was unable to resist pushing the other girl back down on the bed and climbing on top of her.

Supporting herself on one elbow, she let her other hand roam freely over Natsuki's body, careful of the wound on her arm and the bruise on her cheek. Natsuki reached up and pulled Shizuru's head down for a kiss, loving the sensations Shizuru's hand was evoking. Said hand was currently under the fabric of her panties, squeezing the bare flesh of her derrière. Natsuki moaned against Shizuru's lips and pushed her hips up into the other girl's, clutching her shoulders.

Needing to catch her breath, Natsuki tilted her head back, staring at the headboard of the bed as Shizuru eagerly continued down her throat. Everytime she and Shizuru were intimate like this, it never ceased to excite and amaze her. She looked back down at the older girl, who was presently consumed with kissing her breasts, and wondered, as she always did, how lucky she was that this beautiful woman was in love with her. Shizuru was admired by both sexes for her beauty and grace, as well as her intelligence. While she was in school, she had quite a sizable fanclub (whom Natsuki secretly resented) that followed the lovely kaichou around campus, hoping to emulate her style and manner. Shizuru had an appeal that couldn't be resisted, as Natsuki knew all to well. Being with Shizuru made her weak in the knees, made her body tremble, made her heart beat faster. Unaware of her own captivating appeal, Natsuki could only guess at what the other woman saw in her. Her thoughts instantly dissipated, however, when Shizuru sucked down hard on her nipple while laving over it with her tongue.

Shizuru was losing control, and Natsuki was only encouraging her with her whimpers and moans. She knew the younger girl must be sore and exhausted after the incidents from earlier in the evening. She was probably pushing herself right now for Shizuru's sake. Not used to being the voice of reason in situations like these, Shizuru sat up, straddling Natsuki's hips.

"Shizuru, what's wrong?" Natsuki asked her curiously, and breathlessly.

"Nothing's wrong Natsuki-chan. I just feel that you must be extremely tired, and I don't want you to overexert yourself with the state that your body is in right now. It's been such a long and trying day, we should probably get some rest and continue this when you're feeling better."

"Well, I have to admit, I am rather tired. Are you sure it's ok if we stop?"

"Of course. Besides, I know it will be more enjoyable when you've regained your usual energy anyway," Shizuru said with a playful wink. Despite her fatigue, Natsuki still blushed at the teasing remark.

Opening up the small bag she'd packed while waiting for Natsuki, Shizuru drew out some sleeping clothes for the two of them and a toothbrush and toothpaste.

They got ready for bed and then settled between the sheets. Shizuru's arms were wrapped around Natsuki as the dark-haired girl reached over to turn off the bedside lamp. They exchanged whispered endearments with each other in the darkness of the hotel room, before quickly succumbing to a deep sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Authors Note**: Alright, I finally finished this chapter! It's the last one so I hope it satisfactorily concludes the story for everyone. Also, sorry it took me so long to update, I was out of town for a while and kind of lost my writing momentum. Enjoy and please review!

* * *

_Rearranged: Chapter 11

* * *

_  
Natsuki awoke with a start in the darkened hotel room. She sat up quickly, hands gripping the bedsheets beneath her. Her clothes were drenched in sweat and her breathing was coming out in quick, erratic pants. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked to her left and saw the sleeping form of the girl next to her. 

_She's ok_. _It was just a dream_.

Her mind eased considerably, but she had to focus to calm her breathing and her racing heart. The dream, or rather, nightmare, was still fresh in her mind. Unlike most dreams she had, this time she could remember every horrible detail of the sequence of events that led to her sudden awakening. _Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream_. She reminded herself over and over until she finally felt semi-relaxed. Glancing at the clock, she noted that it was 3:47 am: much to early for her to wake up. It would take a while for her to be ready to return to sleep after having such a dream, however. Turning to Shizuru, she reached out a shaky hand and gently felt her side, finding reassurance in the warmth of her body.

Though it was not her intention, the older girl stirred to wakefulness at the contact and shifted around to face her.

"Natsuki, what's wrong?" Shizuru asked, eyes still closed, her voice thick from sleeping.

"I just woke up from a dream I was having, it's nothing," she replied, her voice quavering against her will.

Shizuru moved to rub her back comfortingly, drawing back suddenly when she touched her shirt.

"Your clothes are soaking wet! Are you ok?" She asked, the concern evident in her tone.

"It was just a nightmare, don't worry about it," Natsuki replied, not wanting Shizuru to get too worked up over it. The other girl was already sitting up, however, and inspecting her worriedly.

"You're crying! What happened in your nightmare?"

Surprised, Natuski felt of her face to discover that there were in fact tears falling down her cheeks and she didn't even realize it. Shizuru's arms wrapped around her and drew her close, tucking her head under her chin. Giving in to the comfort of her embrace, Natsuki pulled herself tighter to Shizuru's chest before taking a breath and telling her what had happened.

"It-it was about last night, when we were running from your house. We were running and running across the yard to the gate, but it just kept getting further away from us. I kept trying to reach for your hand, but it was always just out of my reach. Somehow I felt that if I grabbed your hand, we would be able to escape. Then all of a sudden I heard a gunshot, just like last night, but this time I didn't feel it graze my arm. Something made me turn around and I saw you falling to the ground behind me as if—as if the bullet had hit you. I ran to you and lifted you up and tried to shout your name, but no sound would come out of my throat. I kept shaking you and shaking you, but you wouldn't open your eyes, and there was blood everywhere, and—"

Natsuki choked back a sob, unable to continue. With soothing hands, Shizuru rubbed her back and rocked her gently.

"Shhh, it's ok, I'm right here, nothing happened to me. I'm so sorry you had such a bad dream. It's over now, don't worry anymore."

More tears streamed down Natsuki's face as she squeezed her eyes shut. She listened to the steady beating of Shizuru's heart as her head lay against her chest. It's rhythmic sound was calming and she soon found herself being lulled to sleep. Still holding her close, Shizuru laid them both back down on the bed and began stroking her fingers through Natsuki's dark locks.

"Shizuru?"

"Yes Natsuki?"

"I love you, I—I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."

"I love you too. And don't worry, nothing is going to happen to me, I would never leave my Natsuki-chan."

Satisfied, Natsuki snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The brightness inside the hotel room led to Natsuki's awakening the next morning. She felt very well-rested, and the fact that she was still enveloped in Shizuru's arms probably had something to do with that. Extracting an arm from around her waist, Natsuki raised her hand and lightly stroked the sleeping girl's face. Gently trailing fingertips over her graceful features, Natsuki was sure she'd never seen a more beautiful woman than the one in front of her. Those slightly parted, perfect lips were just begging to be kissed, and Natsuki wasn't about to resist their calling. 

Leaning in, she pressed tender kisses to her lips, delighting in their warmth and softness. Soon, she felt the intake of breath that signaled Shizuru's waking, which was soon followed by an appreciative moan as the older girl began to reciprocate the kiss. Their tongues twisted languidly together for a few moments before Natsuki drew back. Shizuru's eyes were still closed as she licked her lips, still caught up in the sensation of the kiss.

"Mmmm...Good morning," Shizuru said in a husky voice, her eyes finally fluttering open.

"Good morning," Natsuki responded, her green eyes meeting Shizuru's in an affectionate gaze.

"Did you end up sleeping well?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki nodded her head and smiled as she moved her hand to brush some errant strands of hair away from the other girl's face. It was such simple gestures, Shizuru thought, that revealed the depth of Natsuki's sensitive and caring nature. At times like these, she felt like she could melt into the younger girl's loving touch and lose herself in her caresses. For instance, at this moment, as Natsuki ran a hand up under her chemise and idly stroked the skin of her back while placing teasing kisses along her exposed collarbone. She couldn't help but close her eyes and let out a small moan.

"Do you like this?" Natsuki questioned playfully, obviously knowing the answer.

"Yes, don't stop, please," Shizuru begged in response.

Grinning, Natsuki resumed her attentions, sliding a hand down to Shizuru's thigh and bringing it up to hook over her hip as she kissed her.

"But you know," Natsuki said in between kisses, "what will happen if I don't stop now."

"Precisely."

With that, Natsuki rolled on top of Shizuru and kissed her even harder as she slid her hands beneath the girl's nightie and pulled it off of her. She immediately leaned down to taste one of her pink nipples and was rewarded with a gasp of pleasure as Shizuru bucked her hips up into her own. Thoroughly turned on from Natsuki's hot mouth on her chest, Shizuru pushed the girl up and grabbed the hem of her tank top before yanking it up over her head. She then brought her back down to return the favor, licking and sucking her breasts with fervor as Natsuki struggled to support herself on trembling arms.

When Natsuki finally sat up, her mind was reeling with passion and her breathing was heavy. She looked down to the girl below her and was stunned once again at how beautiful she was. Her tawny-colored hair was spread out on her pillow, framing her smiling face. Crimson eyes were alight with excitement, and pink lips swollen from kisses. Looking further down, her lovely chest was rising and falling with quick breaths and her hands were grasping her hips, thumbs tracing circles on her her bare skin. The vision was more than Natsuki could take, so she leaned down purposefully and kissed Shizuru's mouth. With every sweep of her tongue she tried to convey what she was feeling, the love that she felt must be emanating from within her out through every pore. She took her time, coaxing Shizuru with her lips and tongue until the other girl was breathless.

Leaning back, Natsuki smiled at the reaction she'd elicited.

"Wow," gasped Shizuru, "I don't think you've ever kissed me quite like that before. That was amazing."

Natsuki just grinned as she rolled off to Shizuru's side and rested her head on the pillow.

Looking concerned, Shizuru asked, "Wait, we're not finished are we?"

Suppressing a laugh, Natsuki replied, "Actually, I was thinking we could take a shower now."

Shizuru looked very enthused at the idea. She was up from the bed and stripping off her underwear in an instant, saying, "Ah yes, I've often fantasized about taking you in the shower. Hurry up out of bed and come on!"

Natsuki could only shake her head in amusement at her girlfriend's insatiability.

* * *

Emerging some time later from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, Natsuki stumbled out into the hotel room wrapped in a white towel. Collapsing on the bed, she melodramatically exclaimed, "If we keep it up at this rate I'll be dead before the end of the week!" 

Shizuru exited the bathroom after her and giggled as she reclined next to her on the bed.

"If I remember correctly, it was _your_ idea, was it not, to take a shower together?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said, then paused, smirking. "It was a pretty good idea wasn't it?"

Shizuru only laughed, then suddenly pounced and began ticking her relentlessly until they were once again gasping for breath.

"Ok," said Natsuki, "we need to decide what we're going to do today."

"I think I should definitely call my father today. I don't think we should have to keep staying in hiding like this, and I don't want you to have any more bad dreams because of it."

She picked up her cellphone and noticed there was a new voicemail.

"It's from my father, he must have called while we were in the shower. I'll listen to it now."

Natsuki waited until she was finished, then looked at her expectantly to hear what he had said.

"Well, first he said he was very sorry that we were fired upon by the security staff. He said he never authorized the use of weapons and that he was furious when he found out about it. Then he said to call him as soon as possible because he has a lot he wants to discuss with me."

"Do you want to call him now? I could leave if you want."

"No, you can stay. I may need your moral support."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"Yes, I'm sure." She took a deep breath, "Here it goes."

Shizuru dialed her father's number and waited for him to answer. Soon he picked up, and Natsuki was able to hear his voice coming from the cell phone speaker as he answered, "_Hello Shizuru_."

"Hello father."

"_Are you alright, are you hurt?_"

"We're fine. You said you wanted to discuss some things with me?"

"_Yes. I have come to the realization that you are quite determined about being involved with that girl._"

"Her name is Natsuki."

"_Of course, Natsuki. At any rate, I had planned to dissuade you from continuing to pursue a relationship with her by cutting off contact between the two of you and by showing you my displeasure with the situation. Obviously you have no intention of ending things with Natsuki, and you've gone to great lengths to show me this. I am not so foolish as to lose my daughter over such a disagreement, and I am willing to make a compromise with you._"

"What do you propose?"

"_I will not interfere in your personal life anymore, and you may do whatever you please regarding your personal relationships. However, I ask in return that you refrain from doing anything that might bring negative public attention to Fujino Industries. I don't think that is too much to ask."_

"I will agree, as long as you give me your word that Natsuki is welcome at our home and that nothing even remotely like what happened yesterday with ever happen again."

"_I give you my word_."

"Thank you. I can't tell you how happy this makes me."

"_I'm glad Shizuru. As your father, your happiness is of utmost importance to me_."

"Thank you father. I'll see you when you return from your business trip."

"_Alright, goodbye._"

"Goodbye."

With that, Shizuru shut her phone then turned to Natsuki, tears of relief already forming in her eyes. She allowed herself the comfort of Natsuki's embrace, gently crying into her neck as the dark-haired girl held her tightly.

"Well, I guess we don't have to stay in this hotel room anymore," said Natsuki. She then tentatively asked something she'd been thinking about for some time. "Do you, uh," she cleared her throat, "do you think you might want to move in with me?"

Shizuru pulled back and looked at Natsuki's face, and unreadable mix of emotions passing over her own before she flung herself back into her arms and began to sob.

"But, I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to!" Natsuki said, panicking. "I didn't mean to upset you or anything, it was just an idea I had, so...you don't have to cry."

"Of course, of course I want to! I'm just so happy that Natsuki would ask me to live with her."

Sheepishly, Natsuki rubbed the back of her head and said, "Well, I know my place isn't that great compared to your parents' house. I don't expect you to want to live there or anything..."

"I just said I wanted to! Silly Natsuki, your place is perfect. Besides, I wouldn't care if you lived in a run-down shack, as long as we could be together."

Natsuki smiled and gently wiped the tears from Shizuru's cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you too," said Shizuru, closing her eyes as they leaned together for a kiss.

"Alright, now let's get our stuff go home," Natsuki said, squeezing Shizuru's hand warmly.

* * *

_1 Month Later

* * *

_

Natsuki, Mai, Mikoto, Chie, and Akane walked up the steps to her apartment. A big test was approaching, and today they'd decided to all go to Natsuki's place to hold a study session. Natsuki's friends were intrigued at the prospect of finally getting to see the girl's home. Everyone knew she and Shizuru were living together now, and they were interested in seeing the interaction between the two of them.

"Um, it might be a little messy, so don't be surprised," Natsuki said as she placed her key in the doorknob, unlocking it. _Shit! I probably should have called Shizuru and let her know I was bringing friends over. She does occasionally like to jump me when I come home from school, I hope she wasn't planning to do anything today._

Mentally crossing her fingers, Natsuki hesitantly opened the front door.

"Shizuruuuuu, I'm home," she said loudly, "I brought—"

Right at that moment, the girl in question slinked out of their bedroom, clad only in sexy black lingerie that left little to the imagination.

The girls behind Natsuki peeked around her and gasped at the sight in front of them. They watched with gaping mouths as a beet red Natsuki strode over to Shizuru and shielded her body from their shocked stares.

"Uh, you guys take a seat in the l-living room, I'll b-be right back," Natsuki stuttered, obviously flustered and embarrassed.

The girls did as she said, looking at each other with highly amused faces. Natsuki, meanwhile, pulled Shizuru into their room and shut the door behind her. She looked up at Shizuru's face, hoping the other girl wouldn't be mad at her for showing up with her classmates unannounced. It was her fault, after all, for not calling and informing her. Amusement, clouded by uncertainty, graced the older girl's features.

"I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you, Natsuki," she said softly.

"No, no it's me who should be sorry! I should've let you know I was bringing people over," Natsuki quickly responded.

"I felt like surprising you today, I hope you aren't upset with me."

"Of course not."

"I just won't do it again in the future," Shizuru said with a solemn face, though inside she was brimming with delight over teasing her dark-haired companion.

"No!" Natsuki nearly yelled, then said in a quieter voice, "I mean, no, please don't stop doing it."

Shizuru then let a smile grace her lips. "I loved how protective my Natsuki was out there, trying to keep her friends from seeing me."

Natsuki looked up at her with possessiveness in her eyes, her cheeks still blazing, "I want to be the only one who can see you like this."

"Well you are, silly girl." Shizuru's eyes darkened suddenly, and beckoning seductively to Natsuki she asked, "Don't you want to have a little fun before you go out there and study?"

Natsuki could only nod, entranced, as she was irresistibly drawn to her scantily clad lover. Knowing her friends were just outside in the living room made her unbearably hot, and she felt her control snap at the first touch of her hand on Shizuru's naked skin. Unable to stop herself, she pushed Shizuru up against the nearest wall and crushed her mouth against hers. The brunette's eyes widened in surprise at her girlfriend's aggressiveness, but soon closed in pleasure as she moaned into the kiss.

Natsuki felt like she was on fire. Shizuru's skin seemed to burn her fingertips as she ran her hands all over her body. One hand unhooked the black bra and tore it from Shizuru's body, before pushing up one of her breasts to her eager mouth. The other hand moved down to the lacy black panties, sliding down to feel the wetness between Shizuru's legs. Pushing them aside, she deftly slipped two fingers into her slick heat and began thrusting them in and out.

Covering Shizuru's mouth with her own, Natsuki muffled the girl's moans and whimpers as she drove her over the edge with her hand. Shizuru's shaky knees couldn't support her trembling body, and she began to slide down the wall. Grabbing her quickly, Natsuki held the taller girl up as she slumped against her body. She laid her down on the bed and gave her a quick kiss. "Come out and join us once you've recovered," she said, then ran her eyes over Shizuru's body before adding, "and gotten dressed."

Shizuru could only nod her head weakly before closing her eyes and savoring the aftermath of her orgasm. Natsuki went to the bathroom and cleaned up, then made her way to the living room to face the group of girls. They had already gotten out their books and had begun studying, but all of their heads jerked up as Natsuki entered the room.

"Ah ha ha ha, so, what are we going to study first?" Natsuki asked nervously, hoping no one would question what she had been doing for the past five minutes.

"We're going over history right now," said Chie, looking at Natsuki expectantly.

Natsuki sat down and got out her history notebook, fully aware that everyone's eyes were still on her. She lifted her head and looked around at everyone.

"Uh, Shizuru will be out in a little while. She's, um, feeling pretty...tired right now."

"Uh huh, I'm sure she is, "said Mai, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Natsuki's face turned red once more that afternoon. "Yeah, so," she said, clearing her throat, "why don't we go over the Meiji Resoration in 1868?"

"Yes, that's a good idea; I think the teacher mentioned it would be on the test," Akane said quickly.

They then began their studying, Natsuki unable to concentrate as her thoughts continually drifted to her infinitely sexy girlfriend resting in the next room.

It was a while later when Shizuru finally emerged from the bedroom. Natsuki was facing away from her, so she didn't see her immediately. She groaned inwardly, however, when she saw the wide-eyed expressions on the other girls' faces as they looked down the hallway. Turning her head around, she saw what was eliciting this reaction. Foregoing the lingerie this time, Shizuru was dressed in a short, silky, kimono-style bath robe, which revealed an indecent amount of cleavage.

Natsuki could only look at Shizuru's grinning face as she sputtered out for the umpteenth time, "Sh-Shizuru!"

"Ara? I thought Natsuki-chan told me to come out when I got dressed?"

Natsuki turned to her shocked friends and forced a smile, saying, "Sorry, excuse me for a second." She then got up and dragged Shizuru back into the bedroom, making sure she got properly dressed before coming back out to the living room. Luckily, the rest of the afternoon passed without incident. Shizuru made them snacks and brought them drinks, making everyone smile at her cheerful demeanor. When the studying was finally finished, the girls packed up their books and made their way to the front door.

"Thanks for coming over, I'll see you guys at school tomorrow," said Natsuki.

"See you!" said Akane.

"Bye!" said Mikoto.

"Later!" said Chie.

"Oh yeah, Natsuki," said Mai, and everyone stopped to listen. "We should definitely study at your apartment more often, I don't think I've ever had such a _revealing_ study session before."

All of the girls laughed at this, and Natsuki's fiery blush only fueled their mirth. Her lips began to twitch and she was soon laughing along with them. They then bid each other farewell and Natsuki went back inside.

Shizuru was sitting on the couch waiting for her and barely had time to react as Natsuki dashed at her. She darted down the hall, the raven-haired girl chasing in hot pursuit. Running into the bedroom she launched herself onto the bed with a shriek as Natsuki, right on her heels, jumped on top of her. Natsuki trapped her arms, then began tickling her sides until she was begging for mercy, which was finally granted. The sunlight was streaming low through the blinds as the two looked at each other with playful smiles. The air changed, however, as Shizuru's eyes flicked down from Natsuki's eyes to her lips, and her pink tongue peeked out to moisten her own. They kissed passionately, reveling in their love for one another and in the happiness that their long and arduous journey to be together was complete.

* * *

_**THE END **_


End file.
